I met Pete during my first week at the company. My direct reports and I walked through an assimilation exercise, and I was able to ascertain a few points about their behaviors, backgrounds, and overall company culture.\u00a0 I then transitioned to a series of one-on-one interviews where we dove deeper into their roles, hobbies, family, and professional or personal goals.\u00a0 I am always intrigued by what is discovered in these initial conversations and attempt to understand what brings them joy and develop rapport.\u00a0 I ask a few questions and see how the conversation flows, and at the conclusion, I ask my team members if they have anything they want to know about me.<\/p>\n
My conversation with Pete was dynamic and fruitful. He is married with kids, likes the outdoors, spends quality time with his family, and loves fitness. He shared that he was one of the company’s first employees. Over the past 15 years, the company had grown to over 250 team members. Peter was an original and led the second-largest team with slightly more than 50 members.<\/p>\n
Partway through our dialogue, I asked Pete, \u201cWhat aspects of your job do you enjoy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a newer technology system that I love interacting with and compiling the data to help drive better efficiencies with the team.\u00a0 We\u2019re all owners here and made significant strides in overall execution and cost savings for the company,\u201d he responded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds like you\u2019ve captured great value for the organization that has driven positive financial results.\u00a0 It also sounds like you enjoy mining the data, and you explained earlier that you enjoy the solitude while biking long distances.\u00a0 Can you share how you interact with the key leaders on your team?\u201d\u00a0 I was curious to understand more.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I have weekly meetings with them, and we talk through our lists of responsibilities, gain consensus, and move on from there.\u00a0 My supervisors interact most with the team members, and I think it works ok,\u201d he answered.<\/p>\n
I paused momentarily, \u201cJust curious, you mentioned you have been here for 15 years.\u00a0 Have you ever had any leadership training or development for your current role or any leadership training in general?\u201d<\/p>\n
He glanced back and answered, \u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t entirely surprised by his response.<\/p>\n
The company was mid-sized and on a steady growth rate year over year.\u00a0 Those activities are often overlooked because more ominous customer-facing needs are always present.\u00a0 Investment in others takes resources, planning, and discipline.\u00a0 I looked to wrap up our meeting.\u00a0 \u201cPete, I appreciate your candidness today.\u00a0 I\u2019ve learned much from you and what you mean to the company.\u00a0 I want to ask you one thing, and it\u2019s a bit personal, so you don\u2019t have to answer me at this precise moment.\u00a0 It can wait until we meet again in a few weeks, and I want you to chew on this a bit.\u00a0 Do you thrive or find joy in leading this team, or does this seem like arduous work for you day after day\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mining is Hard Work<\/strong><\/p>\n Being a good leader is tough enough, but outstanding leadership requires time, energy and a healthy investment in developing others. In his book Mining for Gold<\/em>, Tom Camacho explains that leaders are responsible for developing and coaching their respective teams. He describes this process as spirit-led and leverages the acrostic GOLD to outline the four key concepts of Coaching Leadership. [1]<\/a> He describes a concise set of instructions for success that are led by the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n Organizations can accomplish more collectively by mining and paying closer attention to employees’ skills.\u00a0 Jim Collins makes a similar comparison in his book, Good to Great<\/em>. \u00a0Leaders start with the \u201cwho\u201d by getting the right people on the bus.\u00a0 However, they must take the next critical step of evaluating their team\u2019s skills and locating the right people in the right seats on the bus. [2]<\/a>\u00a0 Once that is established, casting a vision and taking the team on a journey is much easier and rewarding for everyone involved.<\/p>\n Leadership coaching requires substantial energy, but it must be balanced out appropriately.\u00a0 I am a recovering workaholic.\u00a0 Perhaps.\u00a0 Being raised in a family of commercial fishermen, I learned to work hard at a young age.\u00a0 Servant leadership and putting others first has been my mantra.\u00a0 People have complemented me for a being great teacher and leader, performing at a high level takes energy. This has slowly taken a toll over the years and only recently have I started taking more time for myself to rest, recover, and rejuvenate. \u00a0Tom Camacho would call us to \u201cdrink deeply\u201d for ourselves.\u00a0 Using his analogy of flying in a commercial aircraft, you must care for your need for oxygen before you try to help others get theirs.\u00a0 It is essential for leaders to regularly stop and breathe the oxygen of God\u2019s love for themselves so that they have the health and strength to pour into others. [3]<\/a>\u00a0 I am improving at this practice, but it is still a work in progress.<\/p>\n Extracting Value<\/strong><\/p>\n Pete and I reconvened a few weeks later and I anticipated hearing his response to my question. He shared that his DISC profile that he was a high \u201cC\u201d and a private and analytical individual.\u00a0 I continued to work with him and support him in his current position, and a few months later, a different need surfaced in our organization.\u00a0 It could free him up to focus on more enjoyable aspects of his job and still make a resounding difference and meet a critical need.\u00a0 The new role was more data and project-based, so he could invest more in his talents. After much thought, prayer, and consulting with my peers on the senior leadership team, we made the change.\u00a0 Initially, Pete was very nervous about the switch, but I was able to come alongside him and teach him to fill in the gaps.\u00a0 It was a win-win for Pete and the company, producing effective personal and team results while saving a few million dollars.<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Tom Camacho, Mining for Gold, (London, UK: Inter-Varsity Press, 2019) 5.<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Jim Collins, Good to Great, (New York, NY: Harper Collins: 2001) 41-42.<\/p>\n\n