Leading from the middle

Leading from the middle For fresh perspective, ask yourself, and your team, the right questions

FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2008

John Baldoni

No two organizations are alike, and there's no magic pill for improving organizational performance. But managers and team leads can gain fresh perspective from the experience of others. That's helpful if you're "leading from the middle," says business author and consultant John Baldoni. "Real execution in the organization is done in the middle. By questioning and gaining perspective you can help guide and clarify, get things done and provide leadership."

In a spring 2008 conference call with executives and executive coaches, Baldoni suggested that leaders at all levels periodically ask themselves these questions:

1. What motivates you? What drew you to this work in the first place? For most health care professionals, it's the wish to serve others and grow professionally. Remembering first principles can help you and your team engage more productively.
2. What are your organization's (or department's) goals? Measurable goals—for instance, improving turnaround times or reducing errors—give direction to what motivates people personally.
3. What challenges, obstacles or opportunities are facing your team? Asking this of your team, and yourself, can open the door to new thinking and joint problem solving.
4. How to overcome these challenges?  Again, brainstorm with your team and be open. Ask questions rather than give answers, acknowledge honest mistakes, foster listening and transparency, and focus on ideas, not personalities.
5. How are you helping your team achieve their goals? This is "the real job of a leader," said Baldoni, "the invitation to help get people onboard. You set the team's expectations, promote engagement and help develop others."  Especially for teams working to build trust, you need to "reach out, and listen. It's powerful to ask questions to create new relationships."
6. How can you help your boss lead more effectively? It's about "leading up, not managing up," said Baldoni, "being aware, strategic, focused on what the team needs and getting the right resources, not just taking delegated tasks. Be proactive, set an example, ask good questions. Let your boss know what the view is from the middle—by advising, speaking up, calling out bad news, giving feedback and perspective."
7. What are you doing to spread confidence? Leaders need to be optimistic and confident, without being falsely so, he says. A few techniques: Acknowledge others' achievements, show your experience, understand what you can and can't control. "Don't kick people when they're down; look at what they can do better when they succeed.

Real execution in the organization is done in the middle.

For more, see John Baldoni's Harvard Business blog: Leadership at work