Working in an organization that starts and acquires small businesses, I’m constantly recalibrating the specifics of my job and the tasks that comprise my daily calendar. More and more, I’m convinced that the COO title is a brilliant catchall for catching all the things. And the art of the work is less about carrying the baton, and more about passing it off effectively to a growing team of capable people.
I was talking to a coworker the other day who recounted an experience at a previous company at which he assigned a task to a direct report. The individual said that he didn’t want to do said task and asked why my coworker (his boss) couldn’t do it.
My coworker said that while he could do it, it wasn’t in his job description and it was in this person’s. He went on to say that what he heard this individual saying was that he didn’t want to do this task which meant that he didn’t want to do his job. Needless to say, the figurative two weeks ensued.
In this case, the pride was clear: someone was hired to do something and they refused. They believed they were better than the task and opted out.
The more subtle version is when pride wears humility’s clothing, especially in the leadership ranks of a business. It’s not in the refusal to do something, but the commitment to doing it all.
In a conversation with a mentor the other day, we discussed this very thing, and he said, “Just because you see the rock that needs to be picked up, and you can pick it up, and you even enjoy picking it up, it doesn’t mean it’s your rock to carry.” The realization hit me: picking up a not-mine rock actually prevents someone else from valuable learning, possible failing, or potential success.
Leaders who can’t let go wrestle pride of a different kind. Their can-do, must-do all attitude is a deceptive trap that prevents others from taking ownership and growing. It’s also a recipe for personal burnout and resentment.
Humble leadership is the art of multiplying impact and dispersing effectiveness. It is the risk of making the handoff and trusting that the baton pass will give new life and energy to the task at hand. It is in releasing control and empowering others.
The line between pride and humility is thin and dynamic, especially as you evolve in leadership. Ask yourself what side you land on and how you want to grow.
