The Power of Starting Small

Ken Blanchard, who wrote THE ONE MINUTE MANAGER, talks a lot about “situational leadership.” In my experience this is a much bigger issue than entrepreneurs realize. Embracing “situational leadership” always increases productivity & net margins.

Think of “situational leadership” as a need for a different style of leadership from you, depending upon a team member’s current skill level. For example a novice on your team, maybe a newly-minted college grad you’ve hired, knows & understands they don’t yet have all the critical skills needed to achieve the objectives for which they’ve been hired. This is called “conscious incompetence.” They KNOW that they DON’T KNOW everything they need to know. Get it?

Therefore your leadership of that team member will involve more direct oversight. You’ll make sure they get trained properly regarding their skill-gaps. You’ll hold them accountable to making the effort to gain these required new skills, and you’ll speak up quickly when they make a mis-step so they can course-correct. You provide more direct guidance to a novice, as they make mistakes on their way towards mastery.

There are many examples, but let me give you one that’s a pattern I’ve noticed in my business. A problem presents itself with “situational leadership” when you have a team member who’s skilled in one area, but needs to master a new skill.

Often times their ego gets involved and they explain to you “I’ve got this” when you require & assign new skills to them. The risk is that they don’t acknowledge that they’re a MASTER in one area, yet are a NOVICE with the new skill. They try to persuade you that, because they’re a master in other areas, you should consider them a master in all areas, including with the new skill. This is a trap.

“Situational leadership” requires you to quietly sit down with them, one-on-one, and explain that you appreciate their mastery in other areas but that with this new skill, you’re going to provide more direct leadership, guidance and oversight. The same way you would with any novice with a skill.

In this example it’s your responsibility to help them manage their ego, and allowing the truth to come into the conversation. They have not yet mastered the new skill and you’re confirming that you’ll be there to help them develop this new skill, and they can count on you. However, you’re requiring a measure of humility from them. You’re encouraging them to acknowledge the truth.

Encourage your team member to start small, with new skills. To move step-by-step developing the new skill, and encouraging them to make the effort required. They’ll end big if you’ll commit to “situational leadership” by adjusting your leadership style after an honest assessment of your team member’s current skill-level.