Challenge people! Fully prepared is boring.
Wrong:
“Who is ready for opportunities?” is the wrong question. Ready is overrated.
You weren’t ready. Remember how you didn’t know? You see your skills but forget where they came from. Experience taught you.
Are you ready for the challenges you’re currently facing? I hope not.
It’s foolish and wasteful to expect others to develop skills apart from experience. It’s too late if they’re ready.
Right:
Courage trumps skill because skill without courage is wasted. “Have they stepped up in the past?” is the right question. Who they are comes before what they do.
Courage enables learning during the journey. Education provides foundations. Experience activates education.
Who:
Challenge those who:
- Learn from failure. Those who can’t fail, can’t grow.
- Fall and get up.
- Complain. Complaining may be frustrated desire. Challenge complainers to take responsibility.
- Feel apprehensive. They say, “I’d like to but …” Ask, “Would you really like to?”
- Display character qualities like curiosity, compassion, and transparency.
- Faced their fears in the past and pushed through.
- Desire opportunities. Desire trumps talent.
- Currently contribute.
After:
After new challenges are accepted:
- Listen to their concerns. Don’t minimize.
- Clarify expectations.
- Create structures where feedback is expected, frequent, and welcomed.
- Provide support. Mentor, coach, encourage, and educate.
- Ask, “What are you learning about yourself?” Exclusive focus on tasks, while neglecting the person, discourages.
- Don’t step in quickly, as long as there’s progress.
Five bonus questions:
During follow-up sessions, after new challenges are accepted, ask:
- How are you becoming who you want to be?
- What makes you proud of who you are becoming?
- What fears or apprehensions are you facing?
- How does your behavior express who you are?
- What’s next for you?
Help people say, “I never thought I’d do what I did?”
How can leaders challenge the “right” people to do more than they thought they could do?
Tags: Leadership
January 8, 2013 at 6:44 am |
I challenge my people all the time. I love asking the question “What would you do?”
January 8, 2013 at 7:52 am |
Great question Todd.
January 8, 2013 at 7:01 am |
Your question…”how are you becoming who you want to be?” This is a great question. As leaders, we need to encourage individuals to “be better” NOT “do bigger”….that will naturally follow.
January 8, 2013 at 7:53 am |
Thanks Eric. I think leaders are better off and more effective when they lead from who they are. Glad you joined in.
January 8, 2013 at 11:53 am |
I had a boss who loved to give you “exposure” opportunities. This meant you were going to be doing something new in a highly visible environment. It was a great developmental tool even though it was painful to experience. He also would listen when you vented about your problems and then ask you what you were going to do about it. He would help where needed but he pushed you outside of your comfort zone regularly. I grew more as a leader under him than I did working for any other manager.
January 8, 2013 at 8:17 pm |
To challenge their self. To be a better them. To have integrity in all they do. Admit flaws to others in private. Bring up others’ flaws in the same way. All people are “right” people, just some are more negative or defensive at moments. Think how would you like corrective criticism. And be able to say if necessary, “I don’t know!”