Self-Driving Team
I had a dream recently that was really interesting. There were several things going on, but the one scene that was still on the forefront of my mind when I woke up was one where I had a self-driving SUV. I enjoyed it driving me around town taking me wherever I needed to go. One day, I thought I was being smart and decided to send it to a place I would be in the future so it would be there to pick me up when I got there. Great idea, right? Well, let’s just say I spent the rest of my dream looking for my vehicle. The reason I couldn’t find it was because I had given it vague instructions and I didn’t confirm that it “understood” the instructions I had given before I sent it on its way. Truth be told, I couldn’t even go check to see if it was where it was supposed to be because I wasn’t even sure myself of exactly where I had instructed it to go. Even if it had made it to the destination, I didn’t tell it what to do once it got there. Was it sitting in the middle of the road or was it “smart enough” to park itself? Was it still running or did it shut the engine off? Did it allow someone else to get in and take it to a totally different place or did it lock its doors to anyone other than me?
Unfortunately, this is how many of us attempt to lead. We don’t have a clear vision of where we’re going so all we can do is give vague instructions to those who are trying their best to follow us. Have you ever been frustrated with the members of your team not making progress or not following through with something you’ve instructed them to do? Have you ever taken the time to consider maybe they’ve done all they could do with the vague instructions you gave them? Do you have a clear vision of where you’re going? Have you clearly communicated that vision to your team? If you feel like you have, how have you confirmed that they actually understand the vision and their specific role in accomplishing that vision?
If you want to retain high-quality followers, you’re going to have to be a high-quality leader. You can try to spiritualize it all you want and tell yourself, “Whatever God has for me no man can take away.” Well, even if what God has for you no man can take away, doesn’t mean they won’t walk away. People willingly follow someone with a clear vision that they can get excited about but they will also walk away from someone who doesn't know where they’re going themselves. Don’t deceive yourself. People don’t leave organizations. People leave people. If your turnover rate is off the charts, it’s not just because of the industry you’re in or the city you’re in. It’s not just because all you have are entry-level jobs or because everyone you serve with are all volunteers. You can’t blame it all on the economy or on this new generation of millennials. You have to accept the fact that one of the greatest contributors to high turnover is poor leadership.
Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” If your team is constantly trying to figure out what you mean or where you’re trying to get them to go, you need to make some adjustments. If you don’t want your team attempting to drive themselves to some unknown destination, you’re going to need to start doing something different. If you don’t want your team to up and walk away, then you’re going to have to decide to do something sooner than later. Don’t overcomplicate it and don’t attempt to implement a fix on your own. If this is a problem you weren’t even aware of, that would suggest you aren’t checking in with your team frequently enough or deeply enough. Start there. Ask your team for feedback on your leadership. If this is the first time you’ve ever done this, it may seem awkward at first — for them and for you. However, in the long run, it will benefit everyone involved. Get back behind the wheel of your team and lead them to where they need to go rather than just sending them off to some obscure place of uncertainty.
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