Have you ever tried running your fingers on the railing, when you are walking beside one?
Have you ever tried walking so fast that your fingers couldn’t catch up?
What do you do? Double up your fingers’ pace? Or let them “fly” a little over some distance every time it didn’t seem to be able to catch up?
Leaders are like you, and the team members like the finger “walking man”. When all is fine, both of you are walking in the same pace.
When the leader quickens the pace, he can either demand the team to keep up, even though they have shorter legs than the leader.
Or the leader can make use of his connections to the team, and his capabilities to overcome obstacles, and empower his team members to fly over parts where they struggled to keep up.
One way results in strained fingers. Another, though unbelievable at times, will still allow the team to arrive at the destination all the same.
What method would you choose to motivate your team, if you were a leader?
