Some things just don’t happen by accident. Like dog houses. You never wake up on Monday after a long weekend, head to the kitchen, pour your coffee, then look out in the back yard and think “where did that dog house come from?” It’s never like that. You can’t accidently make a dog house. If you want a dog house, you need a plan, a trip to the hardware store, a weekend of work, and if you’re like me, a box of Band-Aids. It takes thoughtfulness and, more importantly, effort if you want to keep your puppy dry in the back yard.
Leadership is like that too. You’re not going to wake up one Monday, head into the office, pour your coffee (seriously? More coffee? Kick the habit…) and look around surprised as you think, “Huh, when did I become a leader?” Nope. Leadership also requires planning, thoughtfulness, and effort. It’s not an accident. It’s the result of intentional action done the right way all the time.
When I’m teaching new leaders, I belabor this point because it’s so important. See, you can learn all kinds of skills as a leader, be exposed to the countless theories on how to best manage people- but that’s no different than looking at pictures of dog houses and wishing one was in your backyard. It’s fun, but it’s not going to keep the puppy dry. You need action. You need effort. You can’t just think about it- you have to do something.
So if you’re waiting around for your team to suddenly start trusting you, or communicating better with each other, or engaging and being more productive, you’re wasting time. It won’t happen any more than you will wake up to a dog house in the back yard. Whether it’s a team or a dog house, building takes effort. So get going!
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