Leadership Isn’t About You: Building Teams That Manage Themselves

My online pal Erik Sagen (Kartooner if you're nasty) posted this short, sweet and true nugget on LinkedIn:

A real leader doesn’t just spot who can row. They notice who steps in to help someone else keep pace when things get tough. — Erik Sagen

Erik’s quote reminded me that while I’ve always hated the idea of being the boss, I’ve led multiple teams successfully, which is, quote honestly, bonkers.

It turns out, to me, leadership isn’t about being in charge. It’s about building environments where good people can thrive.

First, lets set some expectations

I get that some people take issue with the whole I'm the boss thing. I get it, I really do. I just think it's silly, unrealistic and short changes the company that has put you in that position. You have a responsibility to the company to be the boss, and if that is something you can't do or have a profound philosophical issue with, don't take the job/promotion.

Not everyone should be on the management path. Being promoted out of your competency is a real thing and the downfall of a lot of folks out there. Don't be caught by it. Speak up, protect yourself, and just importantly, protect the folks who would have to report to you. This isn't just about you.

Okay, with that out of the way, let's talk about the thing I don't like, would rather not do, but apparently, I am very good at. Leading teams.

My Grand, unifying Management Theory

Good folks, when treated well and given a structured environment, manage themselves.

When you build the right environment, set clear expectations, enforce accountability, and provide structure, people step up. They want to do great work. You just have to create the conditions that let them.

I think of it as a four-part framework:

• Environment
• Accountability
• Structure
• Expectations

Let's call it the EASE Framework. Branding! Let's unpack this a bit.

Environment, not culture

Culture is bullshit. The culture should adapt to the people, not the other way around. If it can't then you should take a hard look at yourself and your organization. Quickly. This is canary in the coal mine shit, take it seriously.

Okay, I build environments on three pillars: learn, teach, and grow.

That means hiring a mix of senior, mid, and junior folks. It means mentorship is baked in. Not everyone will be a teacher. Not everyone will be a learner. But everyone can grow.

When people are allowed to be where they’re at, and are supported in that place, they thrive.

Expectations. Set Them Early, Evolve Them Often.

This is where I see most teams fall apart. Expectations are unclear, unrealistic, or outdated. You want people to succeed? Tell them how.

As the one in charge, so to speak, you should be creating a set of documents that are delivered on day 1 that outlines everything a new hire needs to know to be comfortable and productive.

Give your teams a clear, written outline on day one that covers (in my situation):

• How we commit and review code
• How we report and respond to bugs
• How we communicate with QA and other teams
• Slack norms (how often to check in, when to chime in)
• Documentation expectations (especially daily rollups)

Most companies have on boarding documents, but I find that precious few departments and teams have well documented, easy to understand and implement, onboarding docs. And they should IMO.

Accountability. This Part Sucks. Do It Anyway.

With clear expectations must come accountability. Folks need to do the things you outline, or the entire endevour is for naught. Whether you’re a manager, VP, or team lead, you’re responsible for the outcome. The team wins or fails with you, and because of you.

Again, if that's not something you want or are comfortable with, don't move into management. This is the part of the narrative that is the most difficult and unsettling for most people and trust me, I understand. In these moment you can feel like the bad guy, coming down on the folks who are just trying to get through the day, but believe me when I say, get over it.

As I said at the outset of this missive, you have a fiscal and ethical obligation to the company you work for, that is non negotiable, when you accept the offer to move into management. With this move comes a lot of great perks, but it also comes with some serious drawbacks and one of those is dealing with folks who aren't meeting expectations.

The good news is that, if you start from the place that everyone, at some time, is going to fall short, including yourself, then you can enter these moments with more understanding, and dare I say grace.

These can be powerful teaching moments, growth moments for you as the manager and for the person who failed to meet those expectations.

Always begin by asking yourself:

• Did I set them up for success?
• Did the environment contribute to this?
• Is this a coaching moment, or a fit issue?

For me, accountability issues usually fall into one of two categories:

• Environment or leadership failure
• Wrong fit for the person and role

Notice that not smart enough is not on the list. It rarely is, in my experience.

Structure. Support, not Control.

Structure is the invisible force that makes the rest of this work. Without it, chaos. My approach to structure is simple: it should support people, not restrict them.

Simple things like:

• Daily standups at 10am. Rituals matter.
• Standups stay standups. Task updates happen elsewhere.
• End-of-day rollups. Everyone shares what they accomplished. No surprises, no silos.
• One boss. People report to one manager, not a mob. If someone else needs something, they go through the manager.
• Ask for help. It’s a sign of maturity, not weakness. Bashing your head against a wall all day isn’t noble, it’s wasteful.
• Mistakes happen. Heroes own them. Then they grow. With support.

At first glance, these are small things, but they make a big difference. Trust me. Knowing what is expected and what to do create a sense of security and confidence, the lack of this knowledge creates the opposite.

How this works in real life

I mostly work in startups and early stage companies. This more often than not dictates a certain environment, one that can be hectic, fast paced and frustrating. It comes with the territory, and is the balance to the dramatic upside that can be found in startups.

Should things be abusive and toxic, no. I don't believe they should.

Can they be high stress, chaotic and demanding? Absolutely. Can everyone thrive in this environment? God no.

It takes a certain type of crazy to jump into that world and not only survive but thrive. I happen to be afflicted with that type of crazy, so, for the most part, it works for me.

But to make it work, in the healthiest way possible for the most people possible, the tenets I listed become key. By implementing the items above, I can create an environment that gives us the best chance to succeed, without dying in the process.

Expectations are known, they are enforced and most importantly, those in my care are supported. All that to say:

My understanding lines up with the expectations of the environment and as such I can execute. All three items are inline and working together to make me successful and my manager is a key part of this equation. It is on them to manage this equation, not to manage me.

However, It is also on my manager to make the hard decisions, for the good of the company and the good of the team. A person who isn't a good fit for your organization, that you can't make the necessary changes to support (they are not good in higher pressure atmospheres, and move more methodically than can be supported by the company, for instance) it is your job as the boss to let them go.

Because again: this isn't about just you.

This is for their benefit as well as yours, the companies and ultimately, all the folks who have been given to your care and leadership. You have to take it seriously and sometimes that means making choices you don't want to make, but are the best, long term, for everyone.