You might have the manager title, but do you truly lead the team?
It’s so common to see new leaders promising change and improvements to teams of people but then failing to deliver. It is easy to promise some aspirational changes to win the team over, but it’s not a winning strategy long term if there is no serious intention to deliver. Why do they fail to deliver? Why are there so many promises that go unfulfilled?
It is so easy to become consumed with the reality of the new job and realize it’s really hard, if not impossible, to follow through with all the promises that have been made. It’s also easy to believe that the employees will get over it, by making the mistake of assigning the same level of attachment to the commitment as the leader themselves has.
Misunderstanding how much a promise means to a team is a common fatal mistake for many leaders.
Accountability is a culture that is created when a team realizes their leader is also there to support their success. Once a team realizes that the leadership is invested in their progress, they actively work to ensure that leadership is successful. They do not want another leader or manager when that environment has been created because it’s a symbiotic relationship that self-perpetuates accountability for the whole team.
You must lead through mutual trust and respect, without these, no title or delegated power can save you.
Some presidents and political leaders have provided a contract of sorts to show accountability to the people that put them in power. But if they do this, they must then report back on progress. This is a great example of leadership, building accountability culture, and trust.
Elon Musk writes a long-term plan and holds himself and his team accountable to delivering on these plans. What I love about Elon Musk’s approach is that he makes LONG term plans, something I think we should all do, but hardly ever practice. While I’ve heard the horror stories and seen the court cases against working conditions at Tesla & SpaceX; the two companies remain the most sought-after employers according to engineering job seekers in the USA*.
Elon’s Long-Term Plan (2006):
https://www.tesla.com/blog/secret-tesla-motors-master-plan-just-between-you-and-me
Elon wrote that blog, then guess what they did?
Built a sports car
Used that money to build an affordable car (for some!)
Used that money to build an even more affordable car (It’s not cheap, but it’s affordable enough that they cannot keep up demand. At the time of writing this, the wait time is 7-10 weeks for a Model 3)
While doing above, also provide zero emission electric power generation options
If you want to hold your people accountable, you must demonstrate accountability to them, and deliver on your promises. If you do not, your leadership will be worth very little to your people.
As a side note, it also helps to lead people toward a mission that creates meaning in their work life. This is another reason why Tesla and SpaceX are so sought after, with employees describing it as “stressful but meaningful”.
What about if the plan turns out to be misguided, and upon further assessment, you realize you’re walking down the wrong path? In some cases, it will not be constructive to stubbornly stick to the original plan; sometimes situations change or further information presents itself that reveals a better path to greater success. Sweeping the original plan under the rug and pretending you never made any promises will not work either. You must then have the ability to be humble and put your ego behind you. As a leader in this situation:
You need to own up, stand in front of your people and explain why you are changing your path forwards.
One thing that your people will appreciate the most is your humble and honest approach, showing that even you realize you’re wrong sometimes and need to change your path.
Being vulnerable in front of your people in such a circumstance will remind them that you are also human, and aware of it. Allowing them the insight into your thought process will help their empathic understanding of the situation
Continue to provide updates on progress toward delivering promises so that they can understand the path you have taken together
With the above approach, your team will feel as part of the journey and be faithfully invested in your decisions, as you are leading by example.
*https://universumglobal.com/rankings/united-states-of-america/2019/