Review of leader quick tip—It’s better to face baby alligators
That’s what leadership coaching says. Here’s why.
Problems are like alligators:
Stage 1: They are born small.
Stage 2: They get big, strong and smart.
Stage 3: They intimidate.
Stage 4: They live a long time.
Unless . . . you take action early.
What does leadership coaching tell you?
You can’t wait for problems to find you.
If you do, they are already in stage 2,
Chomping at your behind.
The idea is to dig up problems.
Find them at birth,
Before they are fully developed.
This is a magical thing.
You can contain a baby alligator.
You’re smarter.
You’re stronger.
And they don’t know how to fight yet.
So it takes less time,
Less energy,
Fewer resources.
A full blown problem is a different matter.
If you don’t want to be up to your ears in alligators,
Get out there among your people
And dig up problems when they are in their infancy.
So turn to your digging tools,
Is the advice of leadership coaching.
Again, you only need to keep your eyes and ears open,
And ask a few questions.
How’s it going?
What’s the problem?
What’s getting in the way?
What’s the best way to fix it?
How can I help?
If you want to know, ASK!
You may want to take this one step further,
And follow some even better leadership coaching.
Lots of leaders do.
Just use the common sense approach,
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
You’re smart enough to anticipate problems.
All you have to do is gather information.
Keep your eyes and ears open.
And ask a few questions.
How are you?
How are things going?
What’s on your mind?
What are you concerned about?
Any problems we need to head off?
You get the point.
Get your people to talk.
You’ll find out all you need to know.
On the other hand,
If you don’t want to know, don’t ask.
Martha Forlines and Thad Green
Tags: leadership advice, leadership coaching, solving leadership problems
