When a team takes ownership of its problems, the problem gets solved. It is true on the battlefield, it is true in business, and it is true in life.
- Jocko Willink -
Years ago, when I was a much younger man and in a life that almost seems like another lifetime entirely, I was a fresh-faced and newly promoted leader and was about to be handed my team which, within the largely inflexible scope and framework of the organisation, I would be able to shape from a loose group of individuals into a unit with a single focus despite each having a different role to play within the greater unit. I had been trained well for my role, shaped and honed by those whose responsibility it was to prepare me for the task and I was feeling undaunted, totally ready and...ok, that's not true...I was feeling a little apprehensive and somewhat nervous although I would never have let that show to my superiors or those I was leading. Ok, let's do this, I remember thinking.
After a lot of personal preparation and planning, reading of personnel files, memorising faces and names from those files and evaluating past their experiences, qualifications and performance reviews I felt ready to take over. I did so and the work I did prior went down very well with the team, they responded, and we proceeded to work towards the established outcomes I'd been set. The apprehension had dissipated almost immediately and we got down to business.
There were, and I can't overstate this enough, so many challenges to face and overcome and at times I wondered if I was the right man for the job but I pushed forward, looked to find those elements in each of the individuals that were positive and could be capitalised upon and those that needed work - playing to their strengths and improving upon their weaknesses. Slowly it moved forward and those individuals started to take shape into a group that I felt quite proud, and confident, to lead...it was hard work and took a lot of effort.
But here's the thing...they were all fucken rejects.
Due to some scenarios I don't want to go into I was unable to be a part of the selection process that had taken place earlier; there was a panel of people, the up-chain personnel and the leaders who would be assigned teams, who spent weeks evaluating the candidates and sorting/fitting them into what would need to become effective units. There was some string-pulling though and instead of the rejects, those who no one wanted in their unit, being spread out throughout the several unit-elements they were dropped into a single unit...any guesses as to whose? Yep, mine. It wasn't personal, but was certainly orchestrated, no one else wanted the rejects, and I wasn't there to influence the decision.
Those fuckers!
I don't mean the rejects, I mean those in that review panel process who pretty much stitched me up and causing me to have a unit of misfits and...well, rejects.
I didn't find this out until almost six months later (and wanted to murder those selection panel members - almost did too) and actually found out by accident as I overheard a couple of people talking about it. But there's an upside.
You see, those two I overheard were higher on the chain of command than I was and they were talking about what I'd done with, the bunch of rejects he was given, and were solidly praising me and my bunch or rejects and that felt good...something to balance out the murderous intent I had from finding out I'd been duped into taking the rejects.
I was with those rejects, who were not rejects after I finished with them, for a few years and was promoted up and away but they continued to thrive without me, they were different people...I don't mean just because of me though, I just provided the motivation, found certain elements within each and built upon them, and added some new ideas which I fucken drilled into them with remorseless intent, and they rose to the challenge, every challenge, and improved themselves. It's a credit to them and I was happy to check back in on each later and see they'd carried it forward after I was transferred out.
Looking back, those years and those rejects were instrumental in developing who I was as a man and leader both professionally and personally; I mean the processes and strategies, the behaviours and ways of working I employed which I've carried forward, honed and improved. Did I ever feel like killing one of them? Sure I did, (all of them at once at one point), but I'm glad the situation happened as it did as I was able to deepen my understanding of others and myself through the experience and that's paid dividends since. I'm glad I didn't end up killing the rejects, they were a good bunch.
Have you ever led a team that at first seemed like a hopeless bunch of misfits and rejects? Have you been one of those misfits and rejects yourself? Have you experienced an exceptionally good or bad leader and how did that go in either case? Feel free to comment on these or other aspects based around this post if you're inclined.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
[Original and AI free]
Image(s) in this post are my own