Leadership is usually thought of as a person or group of people giving orders and delegating tasks, but what if being an effective leader meant taking the backseat? As a leader, the job is to get a specific job done within a set amount of time while guiding a team to work on different aspects to bring together at the end. The norm is thought of is a direct control approach, bringing forth ideas and telling each member what they have to do to bring that vision to life. This usually leads to uninspired team members, failing to get motivated, that end up having to be reminded for the umptieth time of the dreadful deadline coming up. As someone who has spent a few solid years leading teams in various projects, I have learned that there is a far more profound way to lead, not by taking direct control but by guiding the team to greatness. 

I have led teams with a direct control approach many times but was frequently met with ‘I haven’t done it yet’ or ‘I need more time’. The projects I led in this matter came out ‘ok’ and we got the job done, but there was always something missing. Altough I assigned tasks based on strengths and interests, the team was never fully engaged. 

The next time I led a project, after realizing this lack of enthusiasm, I tried something new. Why don’t I just give them the brief I was given, and let them discuss and brainstorm ideas? So instead of bringing a set plan, I went with only the brief. The team had a tough time starting the brainstorm, not used to having the control of coming up with the ideas, but soon, the meeting became a creative, engaging discussion.

Every team member got to express their ideas, debate, and participate in the creative process. The team members even decided who was going to do what task, with minimal guidance from me. Allowing them to decide reasonable deadlines while reminding them of the final deadline, helped give them the proper amount of time needed. I gave everyone equal control, and so they were more engaged, excited, and enthusiastic to work on the project. 

Leadership is about facilitating your team members’ ideas, giving just enough guidance and motivation to stay on track, but ultimately, the best results come from when everyone has a say, and it’s not just one person telling the rest what to do. Coming to this discovery, I decided to do some research and found that MIT’s Human Dynamics Laboratory has done research and found that the most successful teams are those in which all members speak for an equal amount. So my team’s success was science-based, and I realized that the reason my team’s work came out amateur before, was because I was the most dominant speaker. Now, by letting my team formulate ideas and plans, with guidelines and a structure; coming from me as a leader, it fosters a community where everyone is respected for their ideas and feels safe and valued, inspired to create projects they are truly passionate about. 

Bibliography:

Pentland, Alex “Sandy,” and Anita Woolley and Thomas W. Malone. “The New Science of Building Great Teams.” Harvard Business Review, 15 July 2015, hbr.org/2012/04/the-new-science-of-building-great-teams.