My Weekend 911 Story
We quickly swerved around a blown tire flying down I40 and watched an out-of-control SUV barrel into the woods. I yelled to Titus to call 911, as I pulled over immediately, jumped out of the car, and sprinted into the woods while thinking in the back of my mind … what am I going to do to help? I hope he’s okay. What am I going to see?
It's wild how everything can change in a matter of minutes. An easy drive listening to Nebraska blow a game against Northwestern was interrupted by a blown tire and crashing car.
Have you ever been enjoying your day at work and all of a sudden, a crisis happens? Everything is on fire?
What “fire” moments did you deal with last week?
Was your team equipped to solve it or were you pulled in to save the day?
Were you able to get the problem resolved?
What do you wish you knew prior to dealing with the issue?
Do “fires” keep you from doing what only you can do, on a regular basis?
As a leader there are many times you are pulled into situations that interrupt your day.
Do you operate like my experience above, sprinting towards the crisis, dialing for help without the competency to fix it?
Do you operate like the 911 operator taking time out of your day to assess the situation and who to call to help?
Do you operate like the highway patrolman or EMT flying into save the day because no one else around has the skills to help?
The crisis will come. The questions is, how will you navigate it, while continuing to take care of your team and business?
After 10 years of providing executive coaching, it’s evident that the healthiest and most effective leaders are able to operate more like the 911 operator. They listen, connect, and go on with their day. Their teams are capable of solving complex problems. High performance leaders don’t have to run to the fire every week.
Many of you are pulled into the fires because your managers are not equipped to handle the complex situations. They run towards it with you on the phone. They know they don’t know what to do, but they know they need to be there because it’s the right thing to do.
Until you develop your managers you will continue to be pulled out of work that keeps your team and business healthy.
The rest of the story:
The driver was shaken up, but thankfully okay. He was able to get out of the car with minimal injuries.
Three Opportunities to Consider
Manager Development: Register your managers for our Courageous Manager’s Virtual Cohort launching in October.
Executive Development: Sign up for executive coaching or let us know you are interested in our next Courageous Leaders Executive Experience to help leaders rest, think and prepare to lead well.