Leaders Need Three I's

 (Let these I’s be your eyes)

 “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22)

What Happened from Lee’s Perspective:

As Lee looked around the room, he sensed that he did not have 100% buy-in from every team member in the meeting, but he felt confident making the decision to go forward with the plan as he had outlined it to them earlier. He had the authority to make the final decision and the team members would figure out how to make it happen. He knew the situation and felt he had all the necessary information to make the decision, so he did. After all, wasn’t he supposed to be the visionary leader? He knew things would turn out just the way he envisioned them in this great new plan.

Everything looked good, until the implementation started and then all sorts of cracks started showing up in the logic that had led to this decision. What went wrong? Lee wondered if there could have been any way he could possibly have avoided this catastrophe. And then Mark came along and said, “I knew from the beginning this wouldn’t work!”  Lee screamed under his breath, “Then why didn’t you tell me this sooner!?”

What Happened from Mark’s Perspective:

As Mark sat in the meeting, he knew Lee’s plan was faulty. Lee had not been on the front line in the field for quite some time, so he was unaware of several key points that would keep this from being a profitable decision. Sure, it looked cheaper on the surface, but there would be other costs that Mark knew Lee was not considering. Lee had made it very clear that this is what he wanted and he expected the team to pull together to make it happen. Mark did not want to appear to be promoting himself and he wanted to be a team player, so he remained silent. During break time, he mentioned his misgivings to Nate. Nate agreed that the plan had serious flaws, but he advised Mark to keep his negative comments to himself. “This is what the boss wants, so let’s just do what we have to do to make it work.”

When the time came to implement the plan, Mark began to feel a mixture of vindication and guilt as it became increasingly obvious that the plan was not working. He thought to himself, “I knew this would happen! All this wasted expense and energy could have been saved if only they had listened to me.”

The Three I’s: Input, Information and Insight

No leader is omniscient or omnipresent. You can’t know everything or see from every angle, no matter how well you think you know your team or organization. That’s why leaders need three things from the people they lead: input, information and insight.

As a follower, I have a unique perspective on the organization and the situation being faced by people with whom I work. My leader needs my input with the information I have and the insights I have gained from my perspective. If I withhold my input and allow him to make a decision without my information and insight, then when the decision turns out to be a mistake, I must share the blame with my leader because I did not share that information and insight. I cannot assume that he will have gotten the information from someone else.

To the Leader: Don’t Pull the Decision Trigger Too Soon

All too often leaders pull the trigger on the decision gun too soon. The decision has been made, money spent, changes initiated, and emotional capital expended within the work force only to discover that the price of this decision was much too high and the desired results did not materialize. Why? What could have been done to avoid this disaster?

Several years ago, someone gave me a button that says, “Don’t Confuse Me with the Facts.” For years I have kept that button hanging around the neck of a Tweety Bird pen holder in a prominent place on my desk. It serves to remind me how important it is to listen to the people I lead and not assume that I already know what is best for the organization in all cases. Sometimes my intuition and my forward thinking can get us all into trouble if I ignore the facts that others can see clearly from their perspective.

Hint (to the Leader)

Take a risk and invite input from the people you lead. Try not to become defensive or overly sensitive when the suggestions seem contrary to the action you had planned. Thank them for their input, even if you are not able to implement every suggestion. Give genuine praise for suggestions that make a positive difference, but don’t place blame if the final decision does not produce the desired effect. Let them know you want to make the best decisions for the good of the organization and that you truly value their input, even if you cannot always act on every suggestion. If followers feel their input has been heard and considered, they are much more likely to support the decision, even if their suggestions are not incorporated into the final decision. Keep the door open for more input, information and insights. Let their I’s will be your eyes to help you see how to make better decisions.

To the Follower: When the I’s Don’t Carry the Vote

Have you ever been in a situation where you knew your boss was about to make a huge mistake? The decision had already been made, but you knew it would not succeed. This was not just a hunch or intuition. You had specific information that, if it were seriously considered, could alter the decision and the results. Perhaps you were reluctant to offer your suggestion for fear of being rejected. You did not want to appear to be promoting yourself or you did not want to be accused of insubordination or not being a team player by speaking up against what the boss wanted. So you remained silent. You might have ventured to mention your thoughts to one or two close associates, or your spouse. Then, when the decision had been finalized, action taken, policies put in place, and the results were less than successful, you said to yourself (or to the trusted few with whom you had shared your insights), “I knew this would happen.”

There are times when leaders must make unpopular decisions for the greater good of the larger organization. After I have given my input and shared my information and insight, the leader might decide to go ahead with the decision as he has planned, choosing not to act on my suggestions. In such cases, I can assume that: 1) the leader has received information from other sources and is giving more weight to their input than he gives to mine; or 2) the leader has considered my input, but he has other reasons for setting my information aside. Although I may not agree with the final decision, I will submit to his authority and do my best to make it succeed, knowing I have done my part by not withholding information that could have helped make a better decision.

Hint (to the Follower)

Take a risk and ask if you can provide input with information that might help the leader make the best decision. Let your leader know you want him or her to succeed. If you do not receive credit for the idea, remember that someone else could be giving similar information and insight from another perspective that coincides with yours. If the leader chooses not to follow your suggestions, remember that he or she is also receiving input, information and insight from other sources. Give the benefit of the doubt and assume that your leader wants to make the best decisions for the good of the organization. Once the decision is made, do everything you can to make it succeed. Remember, the best leaders are also good followers. 

© Dr. Larry N. Gay, 2009