A key testing point for leaders is when their team fails to deliver.
One way to look at failure is to see it as a defeat by an enemy. If your team are pigeons, one of them just got eaten by a cat.
Another way to see it is as a weakness in the team that needs to be fixed or even punished.
The choice between these two judgements is a key leadership test.
When you choose the former, your response will be to support the team, help them overcome their loss and move forward as quickly as possible.
If you choose the latter, the team deserves to be reprimanded by the leader and corrected in a way that points out their weaknesses. Punishment for failure can take many forms.
The difference between the 2 choices is keenly felt by the team in a way that you might not expect.
One is the response of a friend, the other the response of an enemy.
The team or individual who failed knows they have been “eaten by the cat” even if they don’t admit it.
Especially if they don’t admit it..
To be eaten again by your boss doesn’t just cause pain, it puts the boss in the same category as the cat.
The problem with cats (if you’re a pigeon) is that you behave differently when they’re around. You’re cautious, risk averse, secretive..
You don’t share problems with cats because you don’t trust them.
“one is the response of a friend, the other the response of an enemy..”
If you want your team to be creative and take risks, don’t be a cat.
If they’re not being creative, maybe there’s a reason…
Is your team creative? Do they take risks?
If you want them to share problems and not just solutions or victories, don’t be a cat.
If they’re not sharing problems or even failures with you, maybe there’s a reason..
Does your team share failures with you?
Good leaders are careful when they choose to go hard on their team, or individuals, and how frequently they do it.
They understand the right balance between being a pigeon and a cat.
A leader’s response to failure is a key test of that balance.