Page 236 - HBR Leader's Handbook: Make an Impact, Inspire Your Organization, and Get to the Next Level

Conclusion 225

You can apply this thought process to many aspects of management
and, in so doing, demonstrate the leadership difference. For example, as
you work on setting yearly (or quarterly or monthly) goals for yourself and
your team, go beyond ordinary and incremental improvements. Think
about what’s needed to accelerate progress toward the organization’s vision
and how your area can contribute. Then challenge your people to get to a
whole new level of performance that will not only stretch their capabili-
ties, but also make others take notice. And as you work with your team to
achieve these goals, help them prioritize what’s important and what’s not,
facilitate collaboration with other areas, and teach everyone how to work
as a team. As you’re doing all that, start thinking about the next wave of
improvement and beyond. In other words, grasp the leadership opportuni-
ties already in your reach and then keep looking beyond.

But also have the courage to let go

Leadership requires guts to seize opportunity but, in that pursuit, also the
guts to trust others and not try doing it all yourself. Busyness creates its
own sense of psychological comfort, but also an artificial sense of al- ways
being needed—and that will leave you with too little time for real
leadership.
Tackling any major challenge will overwhelm you if you insist on fac-
ing it alone. Learn to delegate to others, for example, investing team mem-
bers with key tasks that must be done and sharing the burden with—and
then not micromanaging—other leaders and professionals committed to
the same big goals.
Learn, also, to reach deep into your organization for good ideas and
fresh approaches to problems; be open to solutions that come from the bot-
tom up or even from beyond your organization. More and more leaders are
embracing “the wisdom of the crowd.”
Yes, you’ll be taking on some risk as you venture into letting go; the
colleagues you trust to help with the work may not do it as well as you think
you could. Yes, some people may see your delegation as a sign of your own