Timeout for Leadership-your one-minute leadership idea

Tip Sheet #32

The individual vs. the team  

“I can’t manage you, I have to manage the whole team.”  Wow!  These are powerful words and I know I should have used them more frequently in my career as a principal and superintendent of schools.  I recently heard these words spoken by a professional manager / coach while he was dealing with a player who was not in sync with the rest of the team.  (I apologize for not giving proper credit to this quote and I promise to do a better job of taking notes when I hear something valuable for this blog.)

I have encountered more than my share of these types of employees and I have found they usually can be broken down into two distinct categories.  The first group are those that constantly need reassurance.  They want to please you and they are not yet confident in their own ability.  They work hard and they have a great attitude.  These folks need time and nurturing.  Yes, you may have to hand-hold these workers more than you had hoped. I think it will be worth it because they will grow into very productive team members.  But you eventually will have to cut the umbilical cord.  Just like the new bird leaving the nest, they have to learn to fly by themselves.  How you cut the tie is critical.  I believe that you will know when that time comes.  Sometimes you will need to provide tough love to that individual.   Because if that person cannot stand on their own two feet, you probably do not need them inasmuch as you will be doing his or her job in addition to your own job.  This is not fair to you and your work will eventually suffer. Although troublesome at times, I would welcome this type of worker.  I believe that they will eventually fit in with the team and perhaps one day be your most valuable player.

The second group of people that are difficult to manage are those that are just selfish and egocentric.  They are going to do things his or her way regardless of the negative impact this behavior has on the team.  I would encourage you to have little patience for this type of performer.  For these folks it is always all about them.  He or she could care less about the success of the team. They believe your team rules and norms are not for them and the rest of the team should adjust to them.  I have very little patience for these individuals.  Yes, I would give them a chance to see how his or her personal behavior is impacting the team but if they did not change quickly, you must get rid of them!  Although he or she may possess incredible talent, they will drag your team down.  With these folks on board your team will never be a winner.  You must become the surgeon and surgically remove this cancer from your organization.  If you don’t, I guarantee you that the cancer will spread throughout your team or organization and it will figuratively eventually kill you.  For me, I want to be the master of my own fate.  I am not going to let this cancer beat me.

Good luck!