Eat Your Own Cooking

Do you want your team’s buy in?  Do you want your team’s respect?  Here is the secret to obtaining these things as quickly as possible:  Eat your own cooking.

Do not give an order if you are not willing to complete that order yourself.

If you are willing to get your hands dirty, so is your team.  Prove that you are willing.  This can be as simple as leading the kickoff meetings or being the extra set of hands by working some of the tasks.  Get the ball rolling, and your team will carry the momentum with confidence and understanding.

Some other, more difficult, examples are when something maybe unknown or dangerous.  In both cases, your team may be scared, and by leading the way, you can demonstrate how to do the task and that it is safer than it may appear at first.  Following your lead, your team can learn the proper techniques and pick up some tips and tricks to make things easier.

If you are unwilling to do the work, leadership is not for you, to be quite blunt.  You really should think more about being a team player than a leader.  (There is absolutely nothing wrong with not wanting to be a leader.)  Remember, as a leader you set the example, so what is the example you want to set?

If the ‘boss’ is willing to do this job it sets up a culture of a willing team.  No task should be beneath anyone.  Just because a person gets a promotion does not exclude them from work.  Just the opposite, if you accept the promotion you are telling people you are willing to work for that team.  You are stepping up to be better and to take on more responsibility, not less.

When the leader becomes entitled so does the team because the leader sets the example.