Leading vs. Controlling

Do you want to lead, or do you want to be in control?

There is a distinction, but it is subtle.

Your core (and even subconscious) motivations have a huge impact on the way you lead.

Ever since I was in middle school, I have gravitated towards taking the lead.

Mostly in sports at that age, but it was driven by my desire to have as much control as possible on the outcome (winning).

Pitcher, quarterback, point guard...you get the picture.

In high school and college, the same was true for group projects. I wanted to take the lead to control the outcome (my grades).

"I'm a natural leader," I thought.

And maybe that's true to an extent, but I didn't really learn how to lead vs. control until probably 3-4 years into my time of building a team at Sprout.

When things finally reached a point that I couldn't have my hands in everything and control the outcome (success), I had to learn how to lead.

And the best part was that as I shifted to lead, the people that I led were able to flourish, have more ownership, and grow more than ever before.

Far more rewarding, AND we still got the desired outcomes.

If you are a leader or want to be one, consider whether you truly want to lead or simply want control.