Leadership on the Field of Play

Setting expectations is always difficult and often frustrating—or at least it should be.   This is because as a leader you need to separate team expectations from individual expectations. Setting team expectations is relatively straightforward.   Teams should be expected to meet specific goals as part of a larger strategy.   Everyone should be aware of goals and the plan to reach the goals.   Progress should be measurable and team accountability should be clear. The challenge is for you to have clear expectations and to have solid teams in place.   Then stand back. Individual expectations can be trickier to deal with.   In general, you will find that team members will perform at varying levels.   Live with it.   If you expect uniform execution across team members on every task you will always be disappointed.   The idea is to assemble a team that will succeed as a whole.   Different team members may be stronger on some undertakings ...

I recently received an email from a good friend and colleague who had attended a panel discussion where he was asked to comment on Digital Leadership.    His judgment was that Digital Leadership does not exist—it is a myth (his word).   His take on the term is that it is one of many fuzzy (my word) buzzwords that permeate higher education today.   He further opined that the term is “another colleague try[ing] to carve out a new niche by playing semantics.”   I couldn’t agree more with this perspective.   But I think that it may be too kind.   As I have mentioned in previous posts, there is a substantial body of literature rife with definitions of leadership (a quick Google search will reveal at least 100), types (autocratic, facilitative, strategic, etc.), and approaches (push or pull, for instance).   In addition, leadership is often differentiated by profession.   What it takes to lead in the financial world must somehow be fundamental...

One of the most difficult situations that leaders must confront is how to deal with a team member who has acted out of bounds.   There are a variety of scenarios here.   Sometimes the member thinks that they can fix something on their own and on the fly.   Sometimes they think that they understand an issue better than you or the team. Or sometimes they simply think that they are smarter than the collective group (which includes you), and that they are the white knight who will save the fair maiden. The last case is the easiest to address.   This person cannot be saved, and you cannot save them. This person is convinced that the smartest person in the room has not arrived until they walk in. They are convinced that their arrogance and disloyalty will be vindicated and rewarded.   You can’t change them. Cut your losses.   The person who thinks that they understand the issue better than you or the team is a tough nut, as well.   They may be respo...

Being a leader can be fulfilling, satisfying, and even exhilarating.   But there is always a temptation to take yourself too seriously.   Leading does not make you a hero or a savior.   It provides you with the opportunity to impact an organization by establishing smoothly functioning teams and systems that carry out the organization’s mission. You can’t do this by yourself, but you can influence how it is accomplished. In any case, the task is daunting. The really daunting part is getting the right teams in place.   This takes common sense, discipline, patience, and lots of other stuff that I have discussed on this blog.   A key element is developing the ability to assess the talent of your teams’ individuals.   We all have strengths and weaknesses.   You should draw on your own in determining how to configure your teams.   Look for colleagues who complement your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses.   Match the teams and their ...