QUESTION

When I became a supervisor, I was thrown in the deep end on Day 1. They told me, “You’re a supervisor, go supervise.” When I ask for advice or help, they don’t have much to offer.

ANSWER

Managers are often promoted and not fully supported in their development, leaving them with precious little to offer those that come after. Some leaders have spent the majority of their career underdeveloped and when they get the opportunity to learn, opt for focusing on their retirement clocks or vesting schedules. That doesn’t excuse their lack of knowledge, but it does acknowledge a very common problem: there is a lack of leadership development at virtually every level of the organization—often, all the way to the top.

Everyone, from the CEO to the janitor, is learning on the job. Some do it better than others. That said, you have to start learning where you are, and grow from there. Make yours a “good pocket” in the organization, where mistakes are not punished, but converted into learning, and learning is shared. This stance requires:

courage to pause action when the system demands bottom line numbers;
clarity to reframe the moment as a learning moment for the individual and the team; and,
commitment to making your group a safe place to develop.

Developing others develops us as leaders. More importantly, it inspires dedication to our work and organization.

Great leaders encourage leadership development—by openly developing themselves.
–Marshall Goldsmith, American leadership coach and the author

If you want the pulse of any organization, start with its leadership. Their example says a lot: people play how they are coached. Observe how people demonstrate their belief in leadership. Do they think the leaders are going after the right strategy? Do people believe they are focused on the right things? Do they have faith in them enough to follow them in that direction? Does the fire inside the leader burn hot enough for others to get warm?

Dedication increases when people see the enthusiasm of the person in charge. They catch that feeling. Dedication, after all, is a highly contagious thing. One spirit stirs others, inspires them to action. It carries a mental magnetism that captures the attention and enlists the energies of all who watch.

It’s natural to want to be taught by those above us, not all managers have the knowledge to give. The more consuming your dedication for your own development, the more you draw others toward you and the tasks at hand. Your intensity—your focus, drive, and commitment to do good work—carries the most significant influence over the level of dedication you can expect from others.

You matter, whether you like it or not. You set the tone. If you try to sabotage change and speak negatively about new ideas, chances are your team will pick up on your doubts and echo your cause. If you have energy and curiosity to learn more, even if you stumble along the way, you make it safe for others to do the same. People always take a reading on the person in charge—and an impression forms. When it comes to building dedication, you must lead by example, just as commanders must show courage if they want soldiers to show bravery on the battlefield.

If you are a lukewarm leader, you’ll see the passion cool among your people. Dedication can’t survive when the leader doesn’t seem to care. So be obvious. Turn up the burner--for yourself. Ignite your dedication, first.

MORE THOUGHTS…

Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.
— Peter Drucker, Austrian-born American management consultant, educator, and author, contributed to the philosophical and practical foundations of the modern business corporation
Everything happens as it should, and if you observe carefully, you will find this to be so.
— Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor and a Stoic philosopher
We are in a far better position to observe instincts in animals or in primitives than in ourselves. This is due to the fact that we have grown accustomed to scrutinizing our own actions and to seeking rational explanations for them.
— Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, founded analytical psychology
It’s hard to lead a calvary charge if you think you look funny on a horse.
— Adlai Stevenson, American lawyer, politician, and diplomat
Observe constant that all things take place by change, and accustom thyself to consider that the nature of the Universe loves nothing so much as to change the things which are, and to make new things like them.
— Marcus Aurelias, Roman emperor and a Stoic philosopher
I wouldn’t mind being the lead guitarist in an incredibly successful rock band. However, I don’t play the guitar.
— Ian McEwan, English novelist and screenwriter

REMEMBER

The first chore in managing change is the toughest: self-management. Get that right, and you are halfway there. Examine your own attitude to learning and growth. Evaluate your personal investment in pushing for change. Sometimes the best management tool is a mirror.

PRACTICE

Consider your work and current dedication level. How do you personally define your dedication? Is it the hours you keep? How much overtime you sign up for? The quality of your work? How often you are promoted? What behaviors demonstrate dedication to you?

CONNECT

Talk to a friend or trusted colleague about ways in which define dedication. Consider examples of people you’ve observed in your career that have impressed you with their dedication. Having examples makes it easier to define.

REFLECT

If you keep a journal for your own development, write down the people who have impressed you with their dedication, and consider what advice they might give you to increase your own dedication.

To perform well while under pressure, we need to develop habits to work more effectively. Making the right decisions, engaging with others effectively, learning to manage our own emotions takes practice.

Driving Dedication During Change: A pocket guide for becoming an effective linchpin enables you with all the tools and tactics you need to make your interactions less stressful and more effective.