Jan 18, 2025
This afternoon I spoke with the team about the challenges for any leader and their team in finding the balance between telling them what/how to do (Directive Leadership) and letting the team figure it out themselves, make some mistakes and learn (Empowering Leadership).
The balance is hard.
You definitely wouldn't want to over-index on either side. So you've got to find a sweet spot.
But it also could be multidimensional, and the balance might shift depending on the area.
For example, you might want to give more direction in terms of the problem the team is solving compared to how the problem is solved. Or you might want to give less direction in the team's communication style but more direction in terms of the standards of produced work.
Regardless, it might be helpful to be open about that balance and have a regular conversation about it.
Because that balance isn't static either. As the team gets better and better, it requires you to adjust the balance.
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I'm a father of 3 from Sydney, a Product Director and a Product Coach. I write about leadership, product management and the messy reality of making work work.
I'm currently building and experimenting with a mildly alarming number of things.
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