Field notes
Field Notes
Our daily Field Notes email is just the kind of jumpstart you need. A fast read. Maybe less than a minute. Because sometimes it just takes one insight to change the trajectory of the day.
Subscribe
Search Field Notes
By focusing on who people want to be, what they want to experience, and where they want to land, leaders give team members something only they can provide. The potential impact of this conversation cannot be overstated.
Many of the most important things in life are free. They just take some time and genuine interest. This special conversation is one of them. Consider having it with each and every person you lead.
Psychologist Bruce Tuckman first documented the stages of group development in 1965. He confirmed that teams go through five stages of development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. During the Storming stage, team members settle in, get more comfortable with each other, and become more candid in their discussions. Disagreements over decisions and differing viewpoints occur more frequently. The respect and cordiality that occurred during the Forming phase occasionally get replaced with quarreling and expressions of annoyance. Disputes can erupt any time a team member takes a strong stance on an issue or topic.
How a team handles and works through the Storming stage is critically important for long-term success.
A leader with a strong sense of purpose, extreme confidence in their decision-making abilities, extraordinarily high standards for excellence, and a clear vision of how to single-handedly steer any project to success is often called a “Hero Leader.” Despite many positive qualities, the label isn’t typically a compliment. The problem with Hero Leaders is that they commonly overstep, overshadow, and overwhelm others by inserting themselves into nearly every project, decision, and discussion. The benefit of their energy and insight is negated by their insistence that only they can add the extra touch needed to achieve excellence.
Staring at yourself in the mirror and giving yourself a pep talk while striking a power pose is more common than you think. Although many of the world’s most accomplished performers might not admit it, they, too, strike a power pose on occasion to elevate their confidence prior to performance. Give it a try sometime when you need it most. No one needs to know but you.
The pride and satisfaction people experience from doing a job well is etched deep into the human psyche. People are self-motivated to do good work. Those enlightened by a higher vision go a step further. They strive to excel for the personal gratification and self-respect they experience, not for the material or social rewards associated with the outcome. For these lucky few, the desire to create mastery over their work becomes a lifelong obsession. These people transform work into craft
People prefer to follow optimistic leaders. Leaders who display confidence in the future and predict individual and team success energize others. Their positive outlook and encouraging attitude towards challenges and opportunities motivate the team to view setbacks and failures as temporary.
Because they focus on finding solutions rather than dwelling on problems, others find them uplifting and refreshing to work with. Simply stated, optimistic leaders boost morale and foster a climate of collaboration that benefits the team.