How to LEAD all the TIME, without Leading ALL the TIME
- Know what it feels like to pull someone else? I mean really carry the load? Like pulling someone in a wagon, carrying a load up a hill. That’s what leadership is. It’s carrying the load of vision and the pace.
We formed “PaceLines” when I was into cycling. Those are lines where you form a single line and “Draft” off one another. In other words, the leader in the front pulls the line by taking on most of the wind resistance. Those behind the leader have to work 30% less to keep up.
When the leader gets tired, they simply “peel off” and fall to the back of the line. Then, the next rider pulls till tired. This process is repeated until the original leader makes it back to the front again.
You can’t pull the pack all the time. If you try, you will burn out, and all the energy stored up by those behind you makes them restless. As the leader tires and becomes unwilling to allow someone else to lead, the pack loses time and wastes tallent and resources.
The wise leader trains his team well, so he has the ability to rest when necessary. Here are some ideas to help accomplish that:
- Give young leaders small projects so they know how to carry the full load
- Make organizational wide campaigns, and let another take the lead
- Turn meetings over to other leaders to help others follow someone else
- Make another leader the point man for a season
- Form a leadership team on a project and rotate the leaders
As a leader, you must know when to “peel off” and rest. But your organization can’t fall apart while you are resting. So you must plan and equip your team for your seasons of rest. If done properly, you will be amazed at how much your team does with out you.
Are you ready to peel off, can you? What say you?
Categories: Leadership
Great post Artie! Thanks!
Sup, Gunny! Been missing you guys. Can’t wait to see yall!
Since I am into cycling Artie, I loved the illustration. I appreciated the list under “train your team well.” I think delegating is easy for me to do but training someone else…now that is a different story. I really don’t care who gets the credit but investing time and knowing how to train is tough for me. Any suggestions?
Training is easy really. Just like learning to delegate, you identify what can delegated, to Whom and how it will be done and to what standard. Training other leaders is very much the same. It goes like this:
I do, you watch… We talk
You do, I help… We talk
You do, I watch… We talk
You do, someone else watches!
the concept is so true, if i only could find a bike to carry me…
You have to build your own bike. It’s called a godly team. Build one of those, and you can change the world
Great article Artie, Very cool Thanks for the insights.
Great, great, great and thanks. I work with leadership groups in my team building programs and I observe that the best leaders hang back instinctively when necessary, enabling others to contribute and learn how to lead for themselves. I’ll keep this as a good summary and guide.
Thanks Billy really appreciate that.
I needed this in the season I’m presently in. Thank you.