Time management is a great idea for organizing your pumping business, building efficiency and getting things done. As a tool for leading people through change, however, it misses the mark. In fact, managing time is the last thing you want to do when leading change. Instead, invest time, and lots of it, in the people with potential to help you lead change. The returns may surprise you, and I have an incredible story to illustrate the point.
A few years ago, I became upset when a player on the NFL’s Carolina Panthers attacked a teammate and subsequently was suspended by the team for one game. I felt the punishment was too lax (after all, the attacked teammate ended up in the hospital) and wrote an angry letter to the team’s owner, Jerry Richardson, expressing as much.
To my surprise, Richardson not only acknowledged my letter, but he went one giant step further. He offered to visit me and my 13-year-old son, who was a big fan of the team, and would bring along the star player in question, wide receiver Steve Smith.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The pair made the two-hour drive from team headquarters to my home and stayed with us for three hours. I learned that day that Smith is a good man who made a bad mistake and was willing to learn and take responsibility for his actions. I admire him for that. From Richardson, I learned the power of a leader being personally invested in future leaders who can make a difference.
Richardson invested time in me that day, but more importantly, he invested time and energy in Smith, someone with potential to lead change on the football field. I can only imagine the discussions they had as they drove back and forth and the bonds they forged and then carried forward. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the following season Smith emerged as a star and helped lead the Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance.
Richardson identified Smith as someone I call a diamond-in-the-rough, a leader with untapped potential. Then, he personally invested his time and energy to help Smith unleash his potential. You can do much the same for the uncut diamonds in your company. Here are four tips to help get you started:
Hold yourself accountable for people development
