Good Leaders Give Directions; Great Leaders Give Direction
Good leaders give directions; great leaders give direction. The difference between the two is more than that little “s” at the end of the word. Directions are prescriptive.
I like the way Simon Sinek put it in a Huffington Post article he wrote: “Direction is the far-away destination to which you are heading and directions are the route you will take to get there.” Directions provide details about executing a task. There are steps you have to take to follow directions — a right and a wrong way to follow them. Direction, however, doesn’t have any of that. A great leader allows people to choose their own path when getting a task completed. A great leader announces the direction in which they want to head in, then allows their employees to find their own ways of getting there.
Think of it like this: As children, our teachers gave us directions to follow because we weren’t yet capable of creating our own avenues of execution. It was easier for us to follow an explicit set of instructions than figure out how to get an end result on our own terms. But now, as adults, we’ve likely discovered and evolved what learning and working style works best for us. We’ve developed the structure and the circumstances we require to problem solve and execute at maximum efficiency. For example, your working style might include detailed steps from start to finish, with each step completed by level of interest. Contrastly, your working style might include a backward-engineered approach with mini-goals and established internal timelines. You may require more upfront brainstorming sessions, or prefer to work alone and report your progress. Whatever your structure, it’s developed to work best for you individually. So when we enter a work environment where our superiors challenge a structure that took us years to optimize, we become anxious, uncomfortable and ineffective.
Giving direction allows for autonomy. Not only does micromanaging take time away from you completing your own tasks, but it makes your employees feel suffocated. Everyone has a different way of learning and executing. What works for you will not work for everyone. It will also allow your non-neurotypical employees to feel more comfortable, as they’ll be working in an environment in which their differences are celebrated instead of shamed. As someone with ADHD, I know how tough it can be to follow a specific structure when I’m already familiar with my own way of execution. I’ve always appreciated leaders who allowed me to explore what systems work for me so I could get tasks completed on my own terms. Leaders who establish direction can empower their employees, creating a happier and more diverse workplace.
By establishing direction instead of giving directions, leaders can create more avenues for diverse thinking, creativity and commitment. They will be afforded more time to focus on their way of getting things done and enjoy a healthier work environment. If you want to be a great leader, loosen your grip on the reigns. Show your employees the direction you want to go in and let them work their magic. That is how you execute great leadership.
Giving direction empowers your employees to think for themselves. So if you’re a leader, how can you tell whether you’re giving direction or directions?
My advice is to be specific, provide context and give people a chance to ask questions. Through context, you’re providing transparency for your employees so they don’t have to ask you why they’re doing a certain task. While you’re giving context, make sure you’re specific about what you’re looking for in the final result. Don’t tell them how to get to that result; just be specific about what you want it to look like. Lastly, encourage your employees to ask questions in order to provide more clarity and allow them to feel empowered in their work. Being a great leader is about trusting in your people. That trust can help reinforce their confidence in you as a leader, and you will be able to build a reliable team that can get work done effectively and efficiently.