Be the Leader Your Subordinates Deserve
Let me start with a bit of scripture to set the stage. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another,” Proverbs 27:17. Read that again to let it sink in before we move on.
Let’s just cut to the chase: are you showing up and acting like the leader your subordinates deserve? I don’t mean to be so abrasive or in your face this early on a Sunday morning, but if we think about the wise words of Spiderman’s Uncle Ben, “with great power comes great responsibility,” it makes this question a vital one to ask ourselves. Being a leader in any capacity is a privilege, and with this comes the power to influence and impact other people’s development and livelihood. That’s a lot of reasonability to not show up as the leader they deserve.
There are so many things that we as leaders need to keep in mind: how am I providing feedback—praise and criticism; how are we handling conflict; how are we setting goals for our organization; how are we providing purpose, direction, and motivation? One thing that can help to provide a framework for the decisions we make and actions we take as a leader is the concept of fulfilling the psychological needs of ourselves and our subordinates. As human beings we have three basic psychological needs that influence and impact our motivation and behaviors. The three basic psychological needs are autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Autonomy is when an individual feels like they have control and choice over what they are doing in their life; competence is when a person believes they are capable of completing a task or action that is within their challenge level; and relatedness is feeling connected to and a part of a group. The reason this is important for us to know as leaders is because when these needs are met people thrive in life, are more motivated, and are more engaged in their surroundings; but conversely, if these needs are not met, those that we lead will not thrive, and their overall wellness will suffer (Deci & Ryan, 2000).
Stop and think about your own leadership style, and the conditions that you set within your sphere of influence(s) for a second. The way that we support the psychological needs of those that we lead may look different based on the area of operations. For example, the way that I support my children’s need for autonomy may look different by allowing them to choose which chores they would like to do around the house that day. While with my co-workers as the lead instructor on a training event it would look like me telling them we will focus on the topics of teamwork and communication, but the way they want to structure the discussions and activities is up to them. Each approach comes at supporting the need for autonomy slightly differently, the goal of helping set the conditions for the individuals to have a greater sense of control and choice over the events taking place.
This is easier said than done, and much easier to do when our work is slow and non-stressful. I don’t know about you all, but that is a rarity for me when things are operating in first gear. Normally the tempo of my days are cranked up to overdrive and it is meeting deadlines and utilizing seconds to make sure we are operating as effectively as we can. The way that we lead during both easy times and stressful times is critical, and in my opinion, should not be drastically different. To be able to be consistent during both circumstances requires us to have a high level of awareness over our core beliefs, values and how both are impacting our leadership style; and how we can leverage our leadership style to consistently set the conditions for those that we lead to be able to succeed, have control over either what they are doing, or how they are doing a task. Also, to feel valued and accepted by not only ourselves, but by the group as a whole.
This week I want you to take time to observe your organizations, your sphere(s) of influence, and how the psychological needs of the people within these areas are being supported, and if they are not being supported, what is the impact? Once you’ve finished your observations I want you to commit to one or two simple actions you can begin to incorporate (or do more intentionally) to better support one or multiple of the psychological needs of yourself and of those that you lead. Don’t forget, that iron sharpens iron, and so too can we sharpen and build someone else, and so we must continue to live life on the offense and grow our leadership abilities by remaining always in pursuit.
Have a great week!
- Daren