THE VALUE OF FOCUSING ON THOSE AROUND YOU

In my career, I've seen plenty of examples like this one: let's say there are two managers, Henry and Beth, who both report to Ralph, the department head. One day, Ralph calls Henry and says, “I'm leaving for New York in an hour. I need you to summarize the analysis that your team has been working on for the past week.” Henry immediately springs into action. He tells the people on his team that he needs a summary, pronto! As soon as he receives the information, Henry sprints to Ralph's office, rehearsing in his head the brilliant and articulate presentation he's about to make. This is just the kind of opportunity he's been hoping for to show Ralph just how valuable and irreplaceable he is.

Beth, meanwhile, has a different management style and would handle the situation in another manner. Unlike Henry, she's more focused on developing the best team possible. So when Ralph calls Beth and says he's leaving for New York in an hour and needs the analysis that her team has been working on, the first thing she does is call Ralph's assistant to find out if the conference room next to his office is free. Then she tells her team, “Get your notes and come with me. We've got a presentation to make.” Each member of Beth's team presents a part of the analysis, and Beth delivers a wrap-up at the end.

Flash forward to when Ralph hears the news that a senior manager is going to retire and needs to be replaced. As Ralph thinks about who could step up to that job, he considers Henry and Beth. It strikes Ralph that he can't move Henry. All Henry ever tells him is that his team can't function if he isn't there. Beth, in contrast, had demonstrated that several people on her team could take over for her. He decides that Beth should be promoted, and then together they'll decide which member of her team should move up to her job.

The moral of this story is, the better your team functions, the better you are going to perform. Your team will be motivated to do their best because they want you to succeed, and they know you will share the credit with them. If you have a reputation for developing everyone on your team, the best people will want to work for you, which will further enhance your contribution. However, if you make it all about you and about showing everyone how irreplaceable you are, it may be a self-fulfilling prophecy. You will end up staying in your job because your boss won't want you to leave that position.

As I experienced in my career, focusing on the people around me and never making it all about me was a strategic advantage. To me, it was all part of doing the right thing and doing the best we could, which was brought home through my self-reflection, sense of balance, true self-confidence, and genuine humility. Although gaining a higher position was not my primary motivation, the fact is that doing the best I could every day and supporting other people actually helped me get promoted out of the cube.