Leadership Fundamentals: Part 2 of 4 - Who Does What

Hey Guys,
Last time, I wrote about the first function of a leader; defining our vision and communicating it to our team. By the way, whenever I use the word "team" in these articles, I just mean the people who work together towards a common goal; it could be your family, the people at your work, the people at your church, or the people in any organization in which you are a leader.

Once people on our team "get" what our vision is, the next thing they are going to need to know is how they personally fit in to that vision. That brings us to our next function of a leader, setting roles and expectations. That's just a fancy way to say "making sure that each person on the team knows what their job is and what is expected of them".

"Why is this so important?" you ask.

Let me answer that with a question. Think of the last athletic team you played on, it doesn't matter what sport it was. What would have happened during a game if your teammates weren't clear on their role? How would that touchdown throw have worked out if your receiver had forgotten his route? How would that sweet double-play have worked out if the 1st baseman wasn't on the bag? In sports, the slightest variation from your role, from what is expected of you by your teammates can cost your team the game.

In life it's the same way. Think about the last argument you had with your wife; I'd bet you an In-N-Out Double-Double that it was caused by unclear expectations. What YOU thought was suppose to happen wasn't what SHE thought was suppose to happen.

These misunderstandings happen just as often at work; although the consequences are different. Rather than a night sleeping on the couch, people lose their jobs; or at the very least, damage their reputation. "I don't think Tim is the right person to handle the new account, he really let me down last time."

The lesson here is that each of us is responsible for making sure that we communicate clear, agreed-on expectations with every person who looks to us for leadership. "If you fail to set expectations, expect to fail"

So, ask yourself "Have I set expectations clearly?", "Am I setting someone up to fail because I haven't made sure that they have clear expectations?" Then, go talk with your team; ask them if they understand their role and what you and the rest of the team expect from them. If anyone is confused about their role, it's up to you to help them get clear.

If you have any questions about these conversations, or about setting expectations in general, reach out to me through the comment section or you can email me at forgingleades (at) gmail (dot) com

Take the lead,

Jeremiah