3 ways leading your team is like teaching your teenager to drive

Today was a momentous day in our family.

My daughter turned 16 and I took her for her first ever driving lesson. I’m pleased to report that it went pretty well. The car, and our relationship, is intact.

I had scoped out a quiet, spacious carpark to use, and given some thought to how we would get started. I also checked on my car insurance!

It got me thinking about some parallels in the workplace.

As a leader, you need to trust your team. They need to feel safe to make mistakes and learn. If it’s a fear-driven, shouty environment, not much good will happen.

At the same time, you need to be prepared with the right resources and some clear boundaries and expectations. This way, everyone knows the safe zones for experimenting and innovating (not too much innovating in the learner driver scenario, it must be said). This drives – pun intended – alignment and efficiency. Equally, it helps with managing risk and ensuring you’re operating within your planned scope.

We started with the very basics today. She started the car, learned how to set and check the mirrors and use the indicators, accelerated, braked, did some u-turns and even reversed the car, all in a pretty safe environment. We will gradually build in complexity and difficulty. Too much stretch = panic; too little = boredom and frustration.

A leader needs to delegate increasing levels of responsibility to their teams just outside where they have already demonstrated competence and reliability. Each new area is a stretch, and therefore a risk, but it’s a risk that needs to be taken to allow people to grow.

If you’d like some help delegating more effectively, let me know. It’s something that comes up often with my clients and there’s a few tips and tricks that can really help.

Until next week,

Take care of yourself and others

Madeleine

I help accomplished professionals untangle difficult career questions so they can thrive in work and life.

1. Want to find out more? Send me a note and let me know.

2. Feeling unfulfilled, overworked or unclear about what next? Work with me to identify what is holding you back and make a plan for more powerfully and enjoyably pursuing goals that matter to you. Contact me to find out more.

3. Join my list to receive regular articles and insights, early news about programs and offers, and respect for your inbox.

4. Follow me on LinkedIn to stay connected.

5. Prefer to talk? Choose a time and it will drop right into my schedule.

Click below to share this on your socials…