At the second level of the Success Pyramid is initiative , a valuable trait of a leader, and an essential quality for any team if they want to be close to their abilities.
A great leader not only has initiative as an individual trait, but they also lead their team or organization in a way that creates and encourages initiative in all team members.
A great leader creates new leaders.
Related: How to set a good example
Coach Wooden described the importance of giving his players the ability to take initiative:
“Don't tie them up so rigidly that you take away their initiative. They must have some freedom of movement, but must react to the initiative of a teammate in order to maintain balance on the ground.
“Give players the opportunity to succeed without fear of failure. ”
The leader’s communication style will encourage or discourage the initiative of the people he supervises. In the book How to be like a wooden trainer by Pat Williams, Coach Wooden described his method:
“Be slow to correct and quick to praise. »
“I never wanted to teach out of fear, punishment or intimidation. Pride is a better motivator than fear.
Related: 10 Traits of an Effective Teacher
“Fear can work in the short term to get people to do something, but in the long term, I believe personal pride is a much bigger motivator. It produces much better results that last much longer.
The leader encourages initiative when he holds people accountable and corrects rather than criticizes. In his book with Jay Carty, Wooden One-on-One Coach , Coach Wooden describes the difference:
“Criticism and correction differ mostly in methods and motives. Criticism puts someone down. Correction means I want to help.
“Be slow to correct and quick to praise. No one likes correction, but we learn from it. If we praise before correcting, the person will accept the correction better. But we must listen before correcting. There is usually another side to every story. If we listen to others, they will be more likely to listen to us.
Related: 3 rules for giving a positive and targeted review
"It's amazing how much can be accomplished if no one wonders who gets the credit. »
“It is very important how the correction is given. We have to be careful how we do it. We don't want those who are corrected to lose face. Here are some good tips:Make it meaningful, but use good judgment. Do not stray from the handle and do not delay in correcting. Do it with tact. If we just let it fly, it's more likely to be viewed as criticism rather than correction.
“Approval is a bigger motivator than disapproval, but sometimes we have to disapprove when we correct. It is necessary. I only make corrections after proving to the individual that I really appreciate them. If they know we care about them, our correction will not be seen as judgment. I also tried never to make it personal. ”
The leader who encourages initiative has confidence in people. He believes in it and gets the best out of it. If the team member's initiative works, the leader gives credit. If not, the leader is responsible.
As Coach often reminded us, "It's amazing what can be accomplished if nobody thinks who gets the credit." »
Related: The Art of Leadership
