Be There For Your People And Let Them Lead
Gatik Chaujer
Co-Founder @TransforMe | Entrepreneur on a Mission to Transform Organisations | Top Team Alignment I Leadership Development | Storytelling Coach
One morning I went and I took both my daughters, Keisha and Kyra to a park nearby to walk around, play around and be around.
Keisha decided to take a badminton racket with her. She has recently developed a love for badminton.
And as Keisha and I were playing next to these trees, the shuttlecock got stuck in the trees.
Keisha tried getting back the racket by throwing stones.
It did not work. Then she threw her racket and unfortunately even the racket got stuck in the trees.
The next 40 minutes was nothing less than an adventure where all three of us were trying to figure out how to get back the racket and the shuttlecock.
Keisha first decided to climb the tree. She is only 14, so she had help from me to climb the tree. She instructed me how to sit and stand.
But the tree climb was unsuccessful in getting both the things back.
Then, Keisha told me and Kyra to start looking for a branch of a tree. I found one and gave it to Keisha. She sat again on my shoulder and instructed me to move left and right.
But unfortunately this attempt also went unsuccessful.
Then I said “I think we should leave the racket and come back with a ladder”. But she said “We will try once again with something else.”
She then decided to search with two thin branches and after a brief search, we got them.
Kyra then ran next to the pond and pulled out tall dry grasses to tie two thin branches. But the grass could not withhold the branches together. Keisha then told me to take out my shoelaces. We tied the branches together.
Keisha instructed me and I followed her.
After a good 8-10 minutes, she was successful in taking the racket down from the tree branches.
But this wasn't enough. She also got the shuttlecock also.
As I reflected on this experience, I realized that sometimes your people just need your support.
Sometimes your team does not want you to instruct, but wants you to believe and support them.
All through this adventure, Keisha was the one instructing us and all we did was to support and follow her.
As a leader, sometimes you just have to be there for your people and let them lead, rather than us leading all the time.
Because that is where real creativity, innovation and spontaneous decision making is developed in a team.
The Creator of the Workplace Harmony Game Plan - Cultivate Best Practice Behaviour, Master Tough Conversations and Deal with Difficult People - and get the Best Possible Results
1 年A good story Gatik. Thank you. The reason why you have staff - or a team if you prefer the term - is you as the leader, manager or whatever you want to call yourself, is because there is work to be done, ideas to be produced, etc and you do not have the time and/or the skills to do it yourself. Asking team members what they think and letting them 'have a go' is vital.
Helping Media organisations transform their ideas into World Class digital solutions
4 年Very true Gatik Chaujer. Thx for sharing.
HR Consultant | Talent Management | Strategic HR | Change Management | Organization Development
4 年Nice.