“Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.”
John C. Maxwell
In a bygone era, the boss held all the knowledge. That’s what made him the Boss. He knew things you didn’t know and therefore he had power over you. That era is no more. Anyone with a smartphone can Google more information about any subject than any boss could ever know.
We propose there are two new challenges for today’s leaders:
- How to discern that bit of critical information buried under tonnes extraneous information.
- How to get the best out of people.
Enter Innovation and Coaching.
Innovation is about (a) seeing the positive way forward in the complex environment in which we operate; and (b) daring to lead the charge.
Coaching is about (a) seeing the potential in people; and (b) inspiring them to make the charge with you.
To nurture Innovation and Coaching in the workplace, try asking your colleagues and team members these two questions when faced with a challenge:
- If you came to work tomorrow and this problem was perfectly solved, what differences would you observe compared to now?
- If resources (money, people, time) were no object, what would you do to create that perfect solution you just described?
Having asked the question, would you dare authorize their proposed course of action?
That last question, is your real test of Innovation and Coaching :)!
“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”
Theodore Roosevelt