The struggle between Attraction and Connection.
Doing something you like is easy.
Leadership requires spending time on things you don’t like.
That means as a leader you need to be very aware of what you like and what you don’t.
What games can you play to ensure you pay attention to what’s important but isn’t attractive?
One is simple – delegate.
Have people in your team who like different things from you & empower them to make decisions.
That’s useful, but not sufficient.
It can also be dangerous, if delegation becomes abdication, and you’re actually no longer leading that part of your responsibility.
You don’t learn about things you don’t see and touch.
A better game is Connection.
Or rather, deliberate connection.
As opposed to accidental connection (the type that is reliant on attraction only).
“…Leadership requires spending time on things you don’t like…”
When you choose to get close to important issues, or people, or activities, you don’t just learn more about them but also about the whole activity you’re leading.
You send a strong signal about what’s important as well.
Usually you find new things that aren’t as bad as you thought, and there are hidden gems inside those people, or issues, or activities.
You grow.
Some people are naturally empathetic and reach out to everyone.
The rest of us have to work on it.
Like diving into cold water, connecting with things you don’t like can become something you’re actually good at if you practice.
And later glad you did.
Is there a part of your team’s responsibilities that’s important but you really don’t enjoy?
Do you delegate that or ignore it?
Or do you deliberately connect?
How much of your time is spent on what’s attractive vs. what’s important?
What important thing are you avoiding?
What unimportant thing are you spending too much time on?
.
.
“I might be wrong, but at least I’ve thought about it…”