“When you delegate tasks, you create followers. When you delegate authority, you create leaders.” — Craig Groeschel
Since the very first time I heard Craig use that quote, it has resonated with me. My mission is to personally grow myself as a leader every day so that I can be better equipped to help those around me to grow into the best version of themselves. When I think of Craig’s quote, there is not an adversity that arises in our organization where I don’t stop, think, and reflect, “How can this help us grow as leaders?” To be transparent, there is not a lick of authority in anything I do that I want to solely be responsible for making the decision on. Sure, there are always going to be things that I have to make a final decision on, but the only way I can perform at my best as a leader is to keep that list as filtered as possible!
So the question is, how do we equip our Teams to take more ownership and make ownership a part of our culture? Right out of the gate, that starts with us as leaders. If we are not taking ownership in our roles as leaders, we will never get our Teams to take ownership. “Clean this truck” is delegating / barking a task. You begin working on ownership when you ask, “Hey there, Are you the person who is responsible for keeping this truck clean?”
Here are a few suggestions I utilize with my Team to create an Ownership culture
1. Constantly Share Your Vision with Your Team — Be sure your people know they are a part of something bigger than themselves. Communicate your mission and vision to them early and often, and ask for their continual input so that they see what you see and are committed to working toward that result. If your Team is smaller (let’s say less than 15 employees), this is crucial as your vision will be very important for them to see where you want to be in the next 1/3/5 years to come!
2. Involve Your Team in Goal Setting and Planning of Activities — This is one of my favorite things to do as a leader for my Team. Seek out their ideas, knowledge, and insights, and invite them to help make important decisions. At the very least, let them see your process for making difficult decisions! Transparency is crucial.
3. Explain the Why behind your decision — Don’t just tell someone what to do without making absolutely certain they also understand why that task needs to be completed and why you’ve selected that individual for the job. Give the job context in the bigger picture of your operations!
4. Let Them Choose the Best Way to Do Something — Whenever it is possible, let your people decide how to achieve the task you’ve assigned to them. Agree upon what constitutes a successful outcome, then let them chart their own course. This builds ownership in the process and they might figure out a method for getting the job done that is superior to the one you would have assigned. If that happens, call attention to it. If they choose a poor methodology, don’t jump in and scold them for it, but rather ask questions that enable them to see better options and give ’em another chance.
5. Delegate Authority, Not Just Task — Give your people a leadership role of some sort. Leadership skills develop over time, and they require practice. Trust your team before you have to trust them. My motto is “trust is given, distrust is earned”. Eventually, you’ll have to trust them, but sometimes it’s worth the risk to trust them before that point to make a decision or step into a role that pushed them to the limit. Your trust in your Team will give them confidence, and that confidence is crucial to their personal growth and development.
6. Encourage Your People to Solve Their Own Problems — Listen to their problems but don’t just bark out the answer. Instead, ask probing questions that will lead them to determine the right answer. When they get it, compliment them and tell them they don’t need to ask you about similar situations; that you have faith in them to figure it out. Don’t abandon them, but prove that you trust their judgment. I used to think that being a leader meant having all the answers, all the time. The truth is we don’t know what we don’t know. People would rather follow those that are real, not somebody who has to be right and a know-it-all all the time!
7. Hold People Accountable — Oh man this is a doozy. Whenever you look at an organization where a positive culture is lacking, there’s a 99.9% chance there is a lack of accountability taking place. Holding your people accountable for their work and for meeting established goals and deadlines motivates them to achieve better results. Don’t just let them off the hook when they are going against your core values. It’s on you to hold your people to perform at their best!
8. Provide Feedback — Regardless of the results, let them know how they’re doing, and give them the coaching they need to improve. Although they might not always ask for it, they want and need your feedback to further develop their knowledge and skills! Don’t wait until a once a year performance eval to provide feedback. This should be a part of your daily routine. This doesn’t give you an excuse to go be an asshole about how somebody is doing – Be constructive with your feedback!
9. Acknowledge Your Team On the Spot for Doing Awesome — A little bit of genuine recognition can go a long way toward reinforcing an employee’s willingness to step up and shine. Show you appreciate their extra commitment with a reward that matches the results. Oftentimes, the best reward is additional trust and an added level of leadership responsibility!
I encourage you to print this teaching off and work to implement some or all of the suggestions above within your Team. When you create a culture of ownership, your people will transform as leaders, and work becomes fun again! Here is what I know for sure.. Ownership isn’t doing everything yourself. But don’t wait for help to arrive. Go get it. The best leaders seek help before they are even close to the finish line. If you own it, you can’t let it fail. If you’re in over your head, and often as leaders we are, seek help. All we have to do to create the future is to change the nature of our conversations, to go from blaming others to ownership, and from problem solving to possibility!
Own today my amigos!