As a parent or a manager or even an individual, we become leaders and make decisions from time to time. There are different leadership styles to deal with situations and these two quotes drive my philosophy:
- Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
- That which does not kill us makes us stronger – Friedrich Nietzsche
These quotes are in conflict with the widely prevalent leadership style of being over-protective. Being over-protective gives the leader an illusion of control as the leader tends to make most of the decisions. And the team feels happy about having a strong leader who will always back them up irrespective of the situation. And it is more appealing when you consider the possibility of hero worship!
But there are several pitfalls for the team. Teams that are led by over-protective leaders tend to:
- Be perennially dependent on the leader and cannot act independently
- Think they will be backed up even if they make mistakes and become reckless
- Will not understand risk – reward dynamics
- Do not take accountability for their actions and results
- Eventually be left unprepared for the future – it is a tough world out there!
Does this mean it is fine NOT to back up our team all the time? Absolutely NO. There will be times when the team needs the leader to back them up to the hilt, particularly when they have put in their best effort but could not achieve expected results due to factors beyond their control.
Teams have to make several decisions every day being fully aware that there is risk involved in each one of them and that they can be judged the wrong way if desired results are not delivered. Failure to back them up when required or reluctance to pick up the battle during critical times will result in the leader losing trust of the team.
So, what can a leader do? Coach people on the basics, let them figure the rest on their own, let them learn through their mistakes and get strong in the process. All of this will build a good team and leadership – continue challenging them and pushing the limits to make them stronger. But when the need arises, step in and support them!
Ultimately, it all boils down to what the situation demands and leaders should use their judgment and decide what should be done – let the team be on their own vs. push them hard vs. step in to support.