By David Tollefson, Vice President
It was a moment I wish I had seen live. Instead, I can only imagine what it looked like as my friend Matt struggled to guide some sheep around a hillside in Israel. He clearly had one vision for where he wanted them to go and they a different one.
After laughing for a while, a real shepherd took Matt aside and shared with him these basic principles about shepherding or leading sheep. These principles can be equally effective when leading people or teams.
Principle #1: Lead From Behind By Investing Upfront
A shepherd has invested time and relational equity in his sheep, so they know where to go and what to do. It is for this reason you will see a shepherd generally lead their flock from behind. And for this reason you will see strong leaders often leading from behind. I think you can argue that a leader’s first mandate is to grow and develop people. They have trained and equipped their teams such that individually and collectively, team members know where to go (they have caught the vision) and they know what to do (they have been equipped and mentored).
Principle #2: Lead From The Front During Times Of Change Or Danger
The only time a shepherd moves to the front of the flock is when they need to take a different path, or the flock is in danger. And so it is true for our best leaders that during times of change, altered courses in direction or peril, that they step to the forefront. These are the times when people need to see you. Your upfront leadership instills confidence and trust which allows everyone to move in lockstep, trusting both the leader as well as the direction and the destination or outcome.
Principle #3: Do Not Lead Alone
When needing to nudge and guide the flock, Matt assumed the larger male sheep that were out-front would be the best ones to work through. Unfortunately they were too independent and more interested in travelling their own way. It was a female ewe off to the side that Matt saddled up beside and gently spent time with. She was the power broker in the flock. As she listened to the voice of the shepherd and followed his lead, the rest of the flock followed her. Your best support will sometimes come from the most unlikely places. During those times when you must lead from the front, know who the influencers are that can move a team with you. When you work with these influencers, you can move a team in the right direction and more quickly than leading by yourself or with others that aren’t on the same page.
Some questions to consider:
- How well does your team and the individual members of it, (a) Understand your vision? (b) Are they able to articulate it? and (c) Have they grasped their role on the team as it relates to your vision?
- To what degree have you mentored and/or provided resources and training to ensure each member on the team is equipped to be their best?
- As we come out of COVID and look at our “new operational normal,” what upfront leadership skills will you need to exhibit as your team finds its way down this path?
- Who is the greatest influencer within your team and who others look to? And is there a second and maybe less-likely candidate? And consider that at different times or across various challenges, that key influencer may change. Know who to go to, when, and for what.
My last thought: your success is tied to your team’s success and the effectiveness of each individual member on it.