Judge Outcomes, Not Style

When it comes to leadership, it’s hard not to be biased.

You tend to view situations through your own POV.

But the problem is “style” doesn’t matter as long as it produces results.

Outcomes are what leaders are judged for.

• I made the mistake of critiquing leader’s styles early in my career.

• It is difficult to agree with a style that’s different than yours.

Yet if the person gets the job done, who cares?

Now if a leader consistently underachieves, evaluating their style is fair.

Because if a style change produces better results, it should be tried.

People crave autonomy and structure at the same time.

• Autonomy allows us to choose our own way to get to the destination.

• Structure suggests there is a systematic approach to follow and chart progress.

The trick is: autonomy is given freely based upon how well outcomes are met.

Translation: the better your results, the more autonomy you get.

Think back to COVID when everyone was sent home to work.

As a manager, it became more difficult to micromanage remotely.

I’d argue that control is never the best method, but trust is earned.

Ultimately leadership is about getting things done through people.

Yet HOW you go about it as a leader defines your reputation.

Building relationships and accomplishing tasks can both be done effectively.

Each leader probably leans more towards one side than the other, but both are needed for the long-haul.

• So yes, defining your leadership style is crucial.

• But remember, there are many ways to get to the finish line.

When developing leaders it’s important to leverage their personal strengths.

Also know there are qualities in others that you don’t have that add value to the team.

You may not relate to their style, but that isn’t important.

Just like salespeople are judged for what’s accomplished, the same standards should be applied to management.

I’ve experienced various leadership styles that are effective (even if I wouldn’t do it that way).

So my encouragement to you is to focus on the outcome(s), not the means (style) to get there.

Not only will this increase your appreciation for other’s strengths, but it will also help manage your ego from blindsiding you.

Leadership styles come in different shapes and sizes.

Identify yours and learn from other’s.

In case you need help, reach out here.

God Bless,

Scott

If you found this helpful and you’re looking to improve your soft skills as a leader, here are ways to work with me directly:

• 🗣 Hire me to speak at your company or next event (watch my speaking reel here)

• 🎤 Invite me to lead an interactive training workshop, remotely or in-person (depending on location)

• 🤝 Start 1:1 coaching with me as a new manager, current leader or executive (I once managed 30 people 1:1 weekly❗️)

Also, you can help me out by forwarding this to friends whom would benefit from it! Thank you!