Good leaders see around corners, recognize patterns quickly, and often see problems and opportunities before others notice them.
Even though this visionary quality is an asset to the team, it presents a unique challenge. A leader who simply informs the team about their clairvoyant view often invites skepticism, doubt, and rejection.
People resist being told what to think. The best leaders invite them into the sense-making process instead.
Rather than tell the team about what they don’t yet see, good leaders create a sense of shared curiosity.
They start by asking the team what they make of signals, facts, trends, or patterns that have emerged.
“I’m sure you’ve noticed that customers are complaining about a different set of issues. What does that tell you?” “The metrics we follow point to a new trend in our efficiency. Does this trend surprise you?” “We’ve been asked by multiple plant managers for the same new resource. What does that tell us?”
By revealing the facts and signals and engaging in shared curiosity, the leader not only highlights something that might be important but invites the team to reason along with them. This engaged curiosity naturally lowers defensiveness and increases interest in the topic.
The moment the team helps to identify the problem or opportunity, it becomes theirs. If the goal is buy-in for what the leader is seeing, co-ownership trumps the need for persuasion every time.
Think about the formula for creating awareness and buy-in like this: Reveal the facts and signals, frame why it has caught your attention, and then engage in shared curiosity.
Remember that it’s not about convincing others about what you see. It’s about guiding them to discover it along with you.
Savvy leaders too often get ahead of the team and fail to bring them along for the ride. The resistance they foster in the process is both unnecessary and potentially poisonous.
Creating shared curiosity and reasoning together is a much stronger approach.
People who own problems and opportunities are never spectators. They become players who charge forward with action and ideas.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
