21 September 2022 |

Leader’s focus on impact

By

The Breakdown

Caring about your team and wanting your team to like you are entirely different goals.

It is natural to care about the opinions of others at some level. 

Being a founder is lonely because you are the one who has to make tough decisions.

These are the decisions you fear may be misinterpreted in a headline.

The decisions that will make or break your business.

Sometimes the best decisions for the group won’t be supported by the majority.

Focusing on the impact allows you to make decisions that keep your company’s mission and vision alive.

Wanting to be popular clouds your judgment, because it is rooted in ego instead of a focus on the goal.

The Takeaway

Leaders trying to be popular come across as fake or dishonest. They are the leaders who show up for the party but are never around to support the team as they face adversity.

  • Listen because you value your team.
  • Invest in their long-term success because you care about them as people.
  • Make decisions that are in the best interest of the group

When your goal is to make an impact, people feel it.

Impact builds loyalty and resilience. 

The Breakdown

Executing and teaching a team to execute are very different skills.

As a founder, you have to ask yourself if building a team is what you want.

Doing this early will save you a ton of headaches.

Building a team is a big responsibility. It requires you care about people and are committed to their investment. 

Leadership is not:

  • Hiring people and hoping they’ll figure it out
  • Insulting people who make mistakes
  • Expecting people to read your mind

Leadership is the ability to connect people with a shared vision. It shows people how their unique skills can fit as part of something great.

People want to be part of something bigger than themselves.

As a leader with a vision, you have the ability to bring them with you.

The Takeaway

Alignment with your team starts with clarity. 

You can trust your team is aligned if everyone on a project can answer the question, Who will do what by when?

  • Who owns the task?
  • What are they doing?
  • When will it be done?

They also need to know WHY the task is important.

As a leader of the team, you need to be able to clarify how you will know when the task is completed. (Set this expectation with your team in advance.)

Consistent follow-up shows you care and will allow you to recognize a job well done and coach to opportunities.