“We need to help you raise your gaze,” I said to the boss. It was one of those times when as soon as the words leave the mouth, you want to pull it back. I left savvy at home that day. She could have responded with any number of comebacks like, “well, if you did your job, I could raise my gaze.” Instead, she told me to worry about my job before worrying about hers. Fair enough. In this instance, my job was to help her understand first. She had enough stacked on her plate but often did find her way into the weeds.
I should have approached it quite differently. Before launching with “raise your gaze,” I would have been better off first sharing with her all the great things the staff was doing and the new initiatives. I should have explained how the staff was preparing her dashboard with more relevant information that meets her needs. That is how I could have helped her understand first. We could then shape the external views, the “raise your gaze” things that needed more attention.
We often associate this helpful quote, “Seek to understand before being understood,” with the leader, the decision-maker. We encourage the leader to be curious and ask thoughtful questions to bring clarity to their thoughts--all true. However, there are times, especially in crises, when we need to help the leader understand. Here are a few tips to help you do that:
· Be curious and ask thoughtful questions of your leader so that you understand
· Brief back your leader to confirm your understanding of the priority, action, or task so that you have clarity
· Share information and simplify the complex so that your boss is informed, aware, and protected from being blindsided
· Let humanness (trust, empathy, and respect) be your multiplier so that you rely on each other and enjoy success
Savvy sometimes gets a bad rap, but have an extra dose ready and available just in case.
CEOs, VPs, and bosses, how are you developing your Mid-Leaders to help them understand first so they can help you?
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