Hump Day Wisdom: Even When You Do Not Want To

Sometimes, leaders have to find that extra reserve so that their teams can see how it is done.

I attended a team meeting on my visit to Seattle this week that was pretty grim  In short, everyone on the team is mentally and physically exhausted.  The are emotionally frazzled and at wit's end spiritually.  After what has been a 10 month sprint on a difficult and controversial change project, just when they were gaining momentum, they were part of a "let's be fair" set of cuts that were the same 20% accross the board.

A leader cannot single-handedly drag the team back into action- and certainly not by blowing smoke about the situation.  But a leader can model what it is to remember why they signed up for the project to begin with and find the reserves needed to re-engage.  The team may or may not respond, but as they do it will be with energy inducted by (not drawn from) the leader.

An important part of leadership is a sort of bifocal vision, with equal ability to look at the horizon and watch the path underfoot.  Where has your focus been this week?

Hump Day Wisdom is published to arrive in your RSS/ mailbox on Wednesdays as an invitation to consider a mid week course correction and goes to thousands of requesters on 4 continents.