Simplicity resonates from #11 of Robert Sutton’s “12 Things Good Bosses Believe.” This belief is so basic that it is often overlooked and rarely discussed, but might very well be the belief that distinguishes great leaders from the rest.
Sutton’s #11 belief of good bosses is:
How I do things is as important as what I do.
Consider this statement in light of the leaders you’ve observed. I have found that:
- Average leaders think their work is finished after making a decision; great leaders know that the hard part is execution and, as Benjamin Franklin quipped, “Well done is better than well said.”
- Average leaders let others figure out how to do the tedious tasks; great leaders use their experience to provide solutions for their team, even though the problems are beneath them.
- Average leaders think their authority will be the force that pushes the task along; great leaders use engagement, motivation, encouragement, vision, and example to lead their team in execution.
- Great leaders know that the What tells what occurred but the How tells the story that people will remember.
- Great leaders understand that the How is the personality of one’s leadership. It’s what will convince people to follow because they want to, not because they have to.
The How is crucial because it’s how leaders achieve effect with their actions. The What is rarely enough.
For example, think about a battalion commander and command sergeant major who want to ensure their subordinate leaders are properly counseling Soldiers. The simplest What would be to just tell them to do it. The commander could also task the staff to develop and emplace a counseling program that creates a standard and verifies completion. This would be a better How.
But to achieve the effect of engaged leadership, thorough risk management, and systemic change, the battalion leaders would also do things like:
- Get personally involved in crafting the program
- Personally pitch the concept to the team to show it’s a priority
- Include professional counseling education to enable the subordinate leaders
- Dedicate calendar time for units to conduct counseling
- Visit subordinate units and observe counseling sessions
- Formally evaluate subordinates on their ability to execute the program
Leaders achieve results when they accompany the What with a good How.
Questions for Leaders
- What areas of your leadership have you left without a good How?
- What else could you do to better implement your core priorities, your vision?
- Who in your organization clearly stops at the What and does it negatively impact the team?