Congratulations! You have been tagged by your boss to lead a group of people or a project. How exciting! The higher-ups have noticed your potential and good work. You have been given an opportunity to show what you can do.
What does this mean? What is the work? What will reveal your success? How will you show others that you are a great leader? Hmmm . . .
You lay out the plan? ✓Yes
You organize times to meet? ✓Yes
You let people know what their tasks are? ✓Yes
You teach others the tasks of the job? ✓Yes
You meet the deadline? ✓Yes
You know the answers? ✓Yes
Then, when you're finished, you start again, doing the same work over and over? 🆇 No.
As much as a perfectly polished project demonstrating your expertise might seem like the output of your leadership skill, the real output is the growth of the people you are leading.
Can they now complete tasks on their own?
Do they work well together?
Can they repeat the process without your guidance?
Are they confident in knowing what needs to be done?
Have you empowered them to take responsibility?
The talent within your team (and the growth of that talent) is the real output of your work.
For more thoughts on this subject, see Chief Optimization Officer by Scott Burgmeyer and Tammera K. Rogers.