What's yours?
Jim Constable
Performance coach and author at J1Coaching. Coaching leaders, individuals and teams across all industries and sectors to be better at what they do.
About fifteen years ago I went on the FA’s Level 1 football coaching course. I expected to learn a few things to help me as a volunteer parent be a better football manager/coach to a group of under 7 boys. After some introductions and form filling – the first question was “What’s your philosophy?”. Now that was not what I was expecting.
I remember coming up with some answer about participation, fun etc but it wasn’t a fully thought through or well-formed answer.
If I was writing now, to myself then, there are lots of things I would want to say.
Last week a CEO I’m working with shared with me an email he’d sent to his new General Manager and I remembered the football course.
I was blown away by his email. I loved it.
It was well written and the content, and style felt incredibly wise, useful, challenging and caring.
I’ve changed the names, but with the author’s permission, here’s the email.
What do you think? (and what’s your equivalent for someone joining your team?)
Mike,
Welcome to your new role as General Manager. I have appreciated the way you have stepped up in recent months as the team has struggled and I am excited to get you on board and keen to work with you to make sure it is a success.
Some general thoughts about leadership from someone with many years of experience of getting it wrong!
- You will make mistakes and you will learn from them. I want you to make mistakes – this is the only way to succeed. The other way is not to make decisions and that will get us nowhere. Be confident!
- This cannot be fixed overnight. Have a well-considered plan, communicate it (regularly) and execute it. You will change and update it and learn along the way. But don’t change it too often or you will never know if things work – success takes time.
- Your success will be built on a competent team of leaders you trust and are empowered to make decisions and make mistakes, just like you are. If you chase every mistake they make and try to fix it yourself you will fail. Support your team, encourage them, guide them, advise them, but let them make the decisions and own both their successes and failures.
- Some people will not be capable of making the grade. If you feel, after giving them the right support and guidance, someone cannot do their job you need to replace them (not try to do it for them). Do it respectfully, but do it. For me it’s the toughest part of any leadership role, but if you want a successful team it is vital.
- Don’t create a team of people that are a mirror image of you. Great teams are made up of people with a range of skills and perspectives. You need this diversity. Look at Larry and I – you couldn’t meet two people with a more different outlook on our business, but I recognise his creativity and flair is a vital balance to my structure and commercial acumen. This combination is key to how we have great products that also make money!
- Behave in a way that you want others to behave. People will look at you and your behaviours will be reflected in the rest of the organisation.
- Look after yourself physically and mentally. Eat well, sleep well, exercise, take breaks (short and long), have people you trust that you can test ideas on and get advice from. Tiredness and too much stress does not make for good decision making.
- Celebrate success with the team. At every opportunity.
We will work closely over the coming weeks and months and you have my full support to make this a great success. Always a phone call away if you need me.
Take care
Tom