No! Not another boring blog about information technology! As a matter of fact, no. In this case I want to talk about 4 I’s and a big T as it relates to leadership. You know that in my line of work I typically go from one big event to another, often working on multiple holidays at the same time. Sometimes I have three going all at once, and today is no exception. I’m working alongside multiple team members who are busily handling the final details of one big event, and in the middle of it all, I take a call regarding the next big event five months away! It’s crazy.
The way I’ve figured out how to keep all the details in line and the plates spinning (an old reference to an act that was on the Ed Sullivan Show in the 60s) is to have a great team of people working with me. No one can be everywhere, and no one is great at everything, so in order to keep a constant flow of terrific things going, it is imperative for leaders to surround themselves with people who will do the job with excellence and commitment. As the coach, you may be phenomenal, but it takes a team to win it all. Here’s how I put together my championship team. 4 I’s and a Big T.
Invest – Leaders have to invest in their team members. This takes working alongside them and showing them that you aren’t asking them to do things you aren’t willing to do yourself, or at least help with. Investment is made through time, investment, caring, mentoring, and engagement. You can’t invest in others if you’re never around. The first I is INVEST.
Instruct – A lot of the time, projects with my team are highly creative. We work together to come up with a fantastic experience for our people, but along the way, I have to cast the vision for what I believe the event should be like. I have to instruct the team as to the way we should go and sometimes provide instruction in regards to a way to do things. This could be technical skill, people management, attitudes and more. The very best way to instruct is by modeling the behaviors and actions which are needed to do things well. The fastest way for a leader to lose their credibility as an instructor is to model behavior that is different from what they say. They must always practice what they preach. The second I is INSTRUCT.
Inspire – Nobody wants to follow a downer! People want to follow leaders who not only do what they say they will do, but do it with style and enthusiasm. People are drawn to a positive inspirational leader who makes them feel better about themselves each time they are around him, and to leaders who make them feel empowered and equipped. Most of all, people want to be around people who care about them and make them know it. The third I is INSPIRE.
Inspect – The old statement, “That which is measured, gets done,” is very true. Leaders have to make sure that everyone is doing what they need to be doing and in the right ways. I have frequently been around my team as they work on our current event. We’ve talked through, walked through, and worked through many, many details. I’ve seen the process and I know that we’re all on the same page. Leaders who are distant and disengaged will often find that the end product is very different than they thought it might be. The fourth I is INSPECT.
Finally, we have one big T: TRUST. Even though I am involved from start to finish, I still can’t be everywhere. I have to trust my team to come through and finish what we’ve started together. I try to make sure that my team members know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have 100% faith in their abilities and that I trust them to do exactly what we’ve agreed to do together. It really is to the point that if something were to prevent me from being at an event (and I’ve had that happen before), I can rest easy knowing that I can trust that they will make everything happens as we planned it to happen. I trust their abilities, their decisions, and their commitment to our shared mission. The big T is TRUST.
Whether it be a big event or a small task, I encourage you to gather great people around you whom you can invest in, instruct, inspire, inspect, and above all, TRUST. This is the old-and-new-school IT.
Lead well.