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“I don’t understand. I was hired to manage a team and projects, which is my passion. But the two leaders of the company keep rushing in to do the work instead. It’s not just me. The entire team is getting passed by in the flurry of activity. And the leaders just say they will update us after it is done. We’re all willing and want to work, but we are being left out – until the problems they have caused surface and need to be fixed right away. THEN they call on us.”

I-D wired leaders are idea- and action-driven. They can build a multi-million-dollar company on a dime. It is their gift. But there is a point where they could, inadvertently, stunt the growth of the team and, also, the company. That point is knowing when to let go.

I-D’s are great starters. And they truly are needed to innovate and push through to initial success. But once they reach a certain level, they will lose interest, do busy work, or continue to experiment excessively instead of building on what created the success. This then succumbs to the law of diminishing returns.

Established Success to Sustained Success

As a company grows, it needs structure. This is where a team comes in to play. Teams can build on the established success in such a way that it becomes sustained success. This is where innovation meets quality, and details are addressed to the point of creating a loyal customer or client base.

Ideally, as the structure and details are addressed by the team, the creative, driven leaders can move on to the next new things.

Where these leaders made their mistake was in not knowing when to let go and move on to that next thing. They tried to do the work that they had hired their team to do, and it was outside their strengths zone.

The result?

Stunted growth of the team, the company, and of their new avenues for innovation.

Complementary Strengths

There are two keys here.

The first key is to surround yourself with those who have complementary strengths.

If you are a driven ideator, hire a team that can turn those ideas into reality, with attention to detail, structure, and profit.

The second key is to allow your team to do what they do best, to work in their strengths.

Keep in mind that ideas can be quick, but execution takes time. Give them time to do what they are gifted to do. You may need to adjust your pace to allow time for things like product development and testing; but in the end, it will save time, create a satisfied customer base, and could prevent lawsuits.

In giving your team time to grow, they will also increase proficiency and productivity. In this sense, if you alter your pace for them, they will adjust their pace to a point where you can meet in the middle of sustained success.

Action Steps

1. Determine your style.
2. Determine the styles of your team members.
3. Learn the best ways to communicate and work with your team.
4. Discuss ways you can help them grow and ways they can help you continue to grow the company.

For valuable resources, click here.

Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after executive coach, mentor, consultant, and speaker worldwide. Deb is well versed in business operations and in the importance of asking key questions most business leaders won’t ask themselves. She brings deep experience in leadership development, strategy, high performance team building and effective communication. She has a passion for leading people to discover and maximize their strengths as well as those of fellow team members, while offering advanced strategies to achieve high performance. Deb is the perfect fit if you’re ready to take your leadership and impact to the next level!