In one of his recent posts, leadership authority, Dan Rockwell wrote:
“If you know more than everyone on your team, you have a weak team.”
True leaders not only accept smarter/more knowledgeable people on their team, they seek them out. They purposely surround themselves with people who are either overall more capable or are at least so in specific areas.
Positional leaders (those simply in a position of authority), on the other hand, tend to be very dependent upon their position and authority for their self-esteem. As a result, any perceived threat to such will be defended against — either consciously or unconsciously — and sabotaged either by overt or covert means.
True leaders liberally credit these talented team members for all the value they provide to the organization, as well as to the leader himself/herself. They also actively look for ways to allow these people to lead and to shine.
While leaders (“with or without titles” – as my friends Mark Sanborn and Robin Sharma would say) can come from anywhere within an organization, I’ve always found the culture of an organization to begin at the top and trickle down. When leadership at the top is guarded and defensive, that’s typically what will be found throughout. The opposite is also true.
Only a leader with character, competence and confidence desires to be surrounded by those he or she deems to be in some way(s) their superior. And they tend to have very strong teams as a result.
What do you think? Any examples come to mind?
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Excellent observation.
It reminds me, I was watching an interview with the Beach Boy’s Mike Love and Brian Wilson. Mike was giving a lot of praise to Brian for being a song writing wizard. But Brian really can’t sing that great (in my opinion). Now Mike’s the lead singer and he’s got a great voice. THAT’S a great team.
I also remember several interviews with Freddie Mercury of Queen. The interview mentioned that Freddie was the leader of the band and he was always quick to stop and point out that he was just a “member” of the band. The frontman. Nothing more.
Great analogies for great leaders.
Bob,
Wow, wow, and WOW! This is so spot on and probably the most specific reason companies reach their potential or don’t reach it. I also believe this is one of those areas that is difficult to train or improve on – not impossible, but difficult. In other words, some people naturally lead this way and others are naturally drawn to their leadership.
Of course Bob you know my greatest examples are Orrin Woodward #6 & Chris Brady #11 on the World Leadership Guru Top 25 List!! Their examples have definitely trickled down & continue to saturate throughout our entire organization. I listened to a “Keeping Score” CD by Orrin yesterday back to back because it totally resonated in so many areas. Since 2006 I’ve become a hungry student in so many areas. Who would’ve ever put a conversation about politics or economics with me in the same room, much less contributing to & enjoying it?? 😉
There are many reasons I’ve enjoyed my association with these leaders. Most of all, they’ve introduced me to other amazing people both within & outside of our organization who challenge my thinking, help me learn & grow while stretching my capacity to lead others!
I don’t think I would have you as an amazing “cyber mentor” had it not been for them. For that…..I’m grateful!
Blessings,
g
David: Great analogies, indeed! Thank you for sharing that! And, as someone who has proven to be a great leader yourself, David, you see that same trait in others.
Steve: I agree with you. What a GREAT point you make about this being such a huge reason in terms of companies reaching/not reaching their potential. WOW! And I know you embody the positive aspect of this.
Geneva: Yes, Orrin and Chris are two terrific leaders! And, your leadership is communicated with everything you do, as well, my friend!
Excellent points here Bob! When I ran my real estate business I remember hiring my first sales agent. My thoughts were that if he could perform at a level of at least 80% of what I could do, then we’d be happy. It quickly became apparent that he was WAY better at sales than I was! At first, my ego was hurt 🙂 but then I realized this was a great thing for me. He remained our top sales agent for years and ended up training the rest of the team as well.
I find it helpful when my team members push & challenge me. That doesn’t happen unless they are better than me at certain areas. This post is a great reminder for me to continue to look for ways to let my team lead and shine. Thanks Bob!!!
We are all interdependent on each other. When leadership empowers their team to realize their true potential, the company will see exponential growth. Things are moving and changing so quickly that no one person can know everything, but when you surround yourself with people smarter than you, you can focus on a niche, be a thought leader and the whole team can grow together. I quote a friend of mine that said, “the more I know; the more I know I don’t know.” That was a HUGE revelation for me. It took all the pressure off. I don’t have to know everything. I just have to maintain the heart of a student and a servant for my team. As we equip and empower the next generation, we create a legacy of leaders that will live long after we are gone.
Jacqeline: Very well said. Ain’t it great to know we don’t have to know everything, and that the team actually flourishes when the leader knows that!
A guy that I worked forwas smart enough to hire people around him that were smarter than him and more importantly let them do what he hired them to do. He has since moved on to his dream job but the system in place is humming along without missing a beat.
John: What a great story and terrific lesson. Thank you for sharing an excellent lesson of growth and leadership with us! It really illustrates the great leader that you are!
Tony: Great lesson. That’s a true leader; one who works on making himself “dispensable.” The great leaders do that, don’t they. Thank you for sharing that!
I find that I want to do better work when I’m working with an organization that values the leadership abilities of everyone within the organization. It’s inspiring to be a part of team that not only values what you can do, but also challenges you to become a better leader.
Debbi: Very nice. Great point. Leaders who do this inspire greater buy-in and commitment from everyone on their team!