Summary

This week we explore how delegating isn’t just great for results, it also helps people to develop.

Transcript

Welcome to episode 160 of the Leadership Today podcast where each week we bring research to life in your leadership.

This is the last in our series focusing on Leadership Practices - the skills leaders apply day to day that allow them to effectively respond to the challenges they face. I believe this leadership practice is one of the most overlooked and important activities a leader can undertake to maintain the motivation and commitment of their people. Clearing is about identifying frustrations and reducing their impact. Frustrations are disastrous for engagement and well-being. This is particularly true when people really want to deliver results but are held back, whether that’s by excessive red tape, clunky processes or uncooperative colleagues. 

The role of a leader is to help people investigate the cause and impact of frustrations. Sometime we can’t fix a problem at the root cause, but we can often reduce the negative impact the frustration has on people at the point of impact. Sometimes we want to avoid discussing frustrations because it feels too negative. However if the focus is on improvement of processes and outcomes then frustrations can become the key to increased productivity and performance. Clearing makes sense with a capable team that is trying to deliver, but frustrations are holding them back. When productivity and performance need to improve, it’s important to involve the team. They’re often closest to the issues that are holding performance back. Our research has shown a strong relationship between reducing frustrations leading to greater satisfaction, productivity, engagement and well-being. Clearing the way is great for your people and great for your organisation. 

Just a reminder to complete our brand new Leadership Practices Assessment. It’s completely free, and you will find a link to it in the show notes. Have a great week.

Access the Leadership Practices Assessment - https://leadership.today/lpa