If you have led people for quite some time then there would have been instances where you have come across the self-aggrandising, dramatic team members who think they are better than the rest and you. They could be over zealous, over critical, wild, aggressive, impatient or simply just too smart.
Basically they are just not too good at following instructions. It’s a tricky lot, what’s a leader supposed to do?
If it was so easy to build a dream team of only people who followed processes, followed you without question and delivered, then let me prick the bubble- it ain’t happening. A CEO of a large media company and my boss at that time once told me that the mark of a good leader is his ability to work with all kinds and get the job done! Based on my personal experiences of handling large teams, being a competitive sportsperson and an entrepreneur here’s my small talk on managing the square pegs in the round holes.
1) Do not take the fight out of the fighter: Do not put a dampener on the aggression and fight one has inside of him, instead channelize it .These people can be exciting, fun, innovative to work with. When someone thinks they are too good, there is probability they actually could be. The Delhi team boxing coach once told me- When I push my fighters really hard every once in a while I can see that one of them wants to literally knock me off. He has seen it in their eyes. It doesn’t bother him. He keeps pushing them. He knows it’s a tough job to be a boxer. If he lets his ego take over and take the fight out of the fighter how will they ever win a fight? Therefore he lets it pass. Use the same ways, nurture and make the aggression grow towards creating something of value and positive outcomes.
2) Different strokes for different folks: A good leader is one who can modify his address and pitch to suit each team member’s style. While leading a large team at a Television Network at a relatively young age, quite a few older guys were reporting to me. The younger ones loved and respected me and the older ones did not. Some of them believed they knew better and for some it was simply their ego. I was not getting compliance. And then an old friend, himself a CEO, told me, "You are young and aggressive. The younger ones look at you as an icon but the older ones have to be dealt with differently. You have to create a context with them. Let them not feel being commanded by a boy.” His advice helped me immensely. Some quit, some stayed, and the ones who stayed performed well.
3) Lead from the front: Respect is the key determinant of high performance leaders. How much people respect you will determine how well they perform. And the best way of getting their respect is to lead from the front. You are the leader for a reason. Don’t shout out orders from your corner cabin, go out there and get your hands dirty and show them how it’s done. And do the tough things first. This kind of leadership is often seen in the military. No wonder the soldiers put their lives in the hands of their commander.
4) Give them space: Let them do their own thing, for some time but set them individual goals. If they fail let them fail and then pick them up when they fall. Keep an eye. Add value. Run an intervention at that time. Have a system of giving constructive feedback. That’s how you gain your leadership Capital.
5) Be Bold but Be humble: Leadership is not a popularity contest, You cannot please everybody and as a leader you have to take tough decisions go down the untraveled path and keep the necessary discipline to keep a group of people to function as a group efficiently. The best leaders “really” care about people. Take more than your fair share of blame and give them more than the glory and recognition they deserve. Listen to them. Your objective is not to win the argument. Objective is to let the best argument win.
Chis Hadfield The first Canadian to walk in space, served as commander of the International Space Station quotes “Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It's about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others' success, and then standing back and letting them shine.”