WHAT KIND OF LEADER WILL YOU BE?

In the simplest of terms, the job of a leader is twofold. The first responsibility is to think about strategy, deciding where the organization needs to go and what it will take to motivate people to get there. The second is to make sure that the team executes and implements the strategy. Unless the organization “makes it happen,” nothing is accomplished, no matter how lofty the goal.

Now the question becomes, what kind of leader should you be? Is it better to focus more on the short term or the long term? Do you delegate or stay really involved? If, as I've stated before, these are all matters of balance, then what is the best mix?

To use a football analogy, a leader may be the quarterback in the huddle calling the plays. Or the leader could be the owner in the skybox, watching the action through a pair of binoculars. Both these extremes have their drawbacks. On the one hand, if you're the quarterback, there is no question that you're in the thick of the action. The problem, however, is that while you're in the middle of the plays, it's hard to think strategically about the next quarter or the second half. You can focus only on what's happening on the field. On the other hand, being the owner in the skybox with a case of Chablis and baby shrimp on ice is a little too far removed from the action. Maybe the owner is well intentioned and preoccupied with discussions about which players to recruit or trade the next season. Nonetheless, his attention cannot be in the details of the execution. One small distraction while the team fumbles the ball on the field and the owner has no idea what happened.

A happy medium does exist: the head coach on the sidelines with his headset, notepad, and clipboard. The coach is constantly communicating with his assistant coaches and players about the current play and the strategy for the next one. The coach is close enough to the action to be on top of it, but far enough away to think through the game plan going forward. He is near the field, but not on it; away from the action, but not distant.

As a leader, you may find yourself in all three positions at various times. There may be circumstances when you have to be as involved in execution and implementation as the quarterback moving the ball down the field. For example, when the company is working on a large acquisition or dealing with a product recall, you may need to step in almost to the point of micromanaging. At other times, you may step way back to consider the big-picture strategy like the owner in the skybox. Chances are, though, that to be an effective leader, most of the time you will be balanced like the coach: close to the action while delegating to the team on the field, but with enough distance to be capable of assessing what changes need to be made.

Effective leadership requires that you constantly keep this balance between delegating and motivating—being involved and connected to what is happening, but not micromanaging. Self-reflection will enable you to constantly ask yourself where you are along the continuum—quarterback, coach, or owner. You will quickly see whether your current leadership style is the most appropriate strategy and when a change is in order.