Fundamental Functions of Leadership
Clarify, Develop, Delegate & Recognize
It seems a common practice in many industries to promote high performing team members into leadership roles. The top performing salesperson, the long-term service technician, or the highly efficient support team member is thrust into the role of leading a team or department in the organization. The logic seems to be that these individuals who are skilled in generating sales, providing exceptional service, or providing highly efficient support must also be qualified to lead a group of people seeking to perform the same duties. But these leaders (and the leaders that promoted them) often find out that there is a big difference between the “doing” and the “leading of the doing.” And while there are answers in books and training programs, many organizations don’t have the time or resources to provide comprehensive and time-consuming leadership training. It is helpful to boil down the many definitions and answers to the question of “What does it mean to be a leader?” into four fundamental functions that can provide a framework for leaders, especially those making the transition from being a “doer”.
The first fundamental function of a leader is to clarify the the vision, goals, and expectations both for the organization or department, as well as for the individual team members. It seems obvious, but many times the leader and the team do not fully or clearly understand the goals or expectations. A leader must be diligent in making sure to constantly clarify the goals and expectations. Does everyone on the team understand what we are trying to accomplish as an organization or department? Does everyone on the team understand what their individual goals and expectations are that support the overall goals? If there are not clear answers to these questions, the leader must clarify, clarify, clarify. This does not mean the leader should dictate these, but rather should inquire and collaborate with the team to build a common understanding of the who, what, why, when and how in defining success. Without the vision, goals and expectations clarified, the team at best will not reach its full potential, and at worst, will operate in a dysfunctional or ineffective manner that ultimately will require a new leader.
The second fundamental function of a leader is to develop the skills and potential of the team. In this area, the leader that was promoted for her/his exceptional skills may have an advantage. However, sharing and teaching skills is different than the doing, and many times leaders fall back on their personal skills and say, “It’s just easier for me to do it”, or “No one can do it as well as I do it”. While both of those statements may be true, the leader is not developing the team, but instead is hindering the potential of the team. Leaders must resist the urge to “do” and exercise the patience to teach the doing, even if it initially results in slower or lower performance. Skills in developing versus doing takes time, but it all starts with an understanding and commitment from the leader to grow the team’s skills and not make the team dependent on the leader’s “doing” skills.
The third fundamental function of a leader is to delegate tasks and responsibilities across the team. Leadership roles often require reporting, scheduling, and other administrative activities that take time away from clarifying and developing. It is easy for leaders to begin to view these activities as “leading.” While these activities certainly need to get done and can provide valuable insights to the leader and team, it is important that a leader determine the most efficient way to get these accomplished. Often times, delegating these tasks and responsibilities is appropriate after the leader creates an effective process for completing them. Delegating these tasks to a team member can also serve as a form of developing team members so that they gain a larger understanding of the vision/goal/expectations. The ability to delegate appropriate tasks then enables the leader to work on clarifying, developing and recognizing, as discussed in the next section. Delegating can also give the leader time to spend on more creative and innovative business improvements that often get pushed aside by leaders that do not know how to delegate.
The fourth fundamental function of a leader is to recognize. When goals and expectations are clearly defined, and the team has developed the skills to succeed, it is imperative that the leader recognize when a team member has done well and when a team member has fallen short. The leader must timely and effectively recognize these situations through communication that praises and shows gratitude for “a job well done” or coaches, corrects and provides consequences for the times when “opportunities for improvement” exist. Leaders must always remember that organizations are groups of human beings that value being appreciated, as well as being coached when something can be done better. While it is certainly more common for a leader to recognize poor performance and make that known to a team member, it is even more important for leaders to focus on recognizing good and, especially, exceptional performance. This recognition is the fertilizer that makes exceptional performance multiply throughout the organization, in addition to creating a positive, energetic organizational culture.
While there are certainly many more functions or aspects of leadership, the ability to clarify goals and expectations, develop skills and potential, delegate tasks and responsibilities, and recognize good and poor performance are fundamental to achieving success as a leader. When leaders focus their energies in these areas, as opposed to the doing of specific tasks, the power of the team and its members multiplies exponentially and the foundation of a healthy organizational culture is laid.
