Focus Eats Well-Roundedness for Breakfast
One of my favorite podcasts has always been Andy Stanley’s Leadership Podcast. I’ve been listening to it for years, soaking up his wisdom and loving his humble style. However, one of his more memorable episodes—one that’s shaped my leadership style and that of many others we’ve coached over the years—was called “Doing What Only You Can Do.”
As I listened, I found myself nodding in agreement when Stanley said, “The two best secrets are, first, that the less you do, the more you accomplish, and, second, that the less you do, the more you let others accomplish better than you could.” He was talking about delegation and the conversation proved a feast of counter-intuitive magic about the main reason busy leaders get in their own way. They haven’t learned how to focus.
Maybe they think they have to set the tone for their organization and outwork everybody. Maybe they think they have to earn their respect. Or, just as likely, they believe they’re the smartest person in the room and always, always have to set every agenda. The problem with these patterns, Stanley said, is that nobody is good at everything. Teams suss out this fact and try to wrest away the things the leader can’t do well. Struggles and misunderstandings ensue, and drama hurts the business.
In other words, said Stanley—and I love this phrase—“well-roundedness is overrated.” With apologies to Peter Drucker and his famous quip about culture and strategy, focus eats well-roundedness for breakfast. The moment the leader steps away from his core competencies, performance suffers. Especially if he interferes with others who are working in their core competencies and have to entertain his bad ideas!
How can you combat the scourge of well-roundedness and focus better? For starters:
Only do what only you can do: recognize that the less you do, the more you can accomplish and empower others to excel in areas where they have core competencies. Avoid interfering in tasks where you lack expertise.
Reflect and plan: Take time for reflection and planning, such as during the holidays, to evaluate past achievements and set meaningful goals for the future. Focus on activities that energize you and align with your purpose, both personally and professionally.
Learn to delegate: Delegation isn’t abnegation of something; it’s empowering and collaborating with others to succeed at something that needs to be done and that they are prepared to do well and enjoy doing.
Take 100 responsibility: if delegation goes sideways, look at yourself and ask, “How could I have done a better job delegating?”
Next week, we’ll go deeper on how to delegate with confidence and good results. In the meantime, clear away the clutter on your desk and your inbox as well as between your ears. And if you want an assist, do give ScalePassion a call.
