In a recent The Leadership Solution published by WalkTheTalk.com, Steve Ventura points out that effective leaders give control. Managers take control – effective leaders give control. Effective leaders retain and accept accountability, but they give control to individual and collective members of their team.
As a leader do you take control or do you give control? Think about it seriously, do you take, or do you give? Giving is far more effective.
Ventura shares a few guiding principles that all leaders should frequently use for leadership self-examination:
- “Believe in your people.
- Let your people know you believe in them.
- Inspect what you expect.
- Take an active role and invest in your people’s development.
- Demonstrate the importance of their development by giving them opportunities for growth.
- Take responsibility for making your people ‘winners.’
- Do not be a crutch for people but be a CATALYST for their growth and development.”
Intellectually, virtually all leaders agree with every one of these principles. Application, however – leading and living these principles on a day-to-day basis – is far less frequent or universal.
Do you take control or do you give control? Do you apply and live these leadership principles, or do you nod your head in agreement while violating these principles and leading far less effectively?
Take far less. Give far more. You and those around you will be far more effective!
