Continuing our study of Greg McKeown’s book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, this week we look at a crucial and liberating leadership question.
How many leaders and organizations teach, coach, and explicitly empower ALL of their team members to ask and act on the following question? “Is this the most important thing I should be doing with my time and resources right now?”
My response, based on over 40 years of senior leadership experience would be, “not very many!” At some organizations, senior leadership may respond with a heartfelt “yes,” but reality is that few executives and organizations explicitly teach, coach, encourage, empower, and expect ALL team members to ask and act on this crucial question.
Here are some far more likely responses from team members throughout most organizations:
- “I am not empowered to make choices or decisions. I am paid to do only what they tell me to do.”
- “I have never been told nor encouraged to do what I feel is the most important. I have never been told that I have a choice. I have never been empowered to ask or act on the question, ‘Is this the most important thing I should be doing with my time and resources right now?’”
- “I have never even thought about this question. No supervisor, manager, or leader within my organization has ever asked or discussed that question with me. Their actions make it clear that they think that they should make all of the decisions. I am expected to do what they tell me to do and not make decisions or choices without their prior approval.”
The most successful leaders and organizations do just the opposite. They consistently discuss, exemplify, and reinforce the crucial concept and culture that, “given your job and responsibilities within this organization, you should continually ask, ‘is this the most important thing I should be doing with my time and resources right now?’” If team members make wrong choices, those choices can be overcome and provide excellent learning opportunities. Most choices will be right, which will provide a continuous stream of excellent learning and developmental opportunities! In my opinion, the worst alternative and scenario for the people on your team and within your organization is to believe and daily act on the belief that they are not paid nor empowered to think and make decisions based on their best judgment. Through your actions and your words, explicitly and frequently remind and reinforce to every team member within your organization that they are not only empowered, but expected to daily ask and act on the crucial leadership question, “Is this the very most important thing I should be doing with my time and resources right now?” Be a leader. Make it happen. Enjoy the immense and lasting personal, professional, and organizational benefits! National Institute for Healthcare Leadership – www.nihcl.com
