In my experience, the thing that has gotten in the way of my
success, more than anything else, is the belief that there is a right way to do
things. The belief that, if I just found the right way, if I just followed all
the rules, if only I could discover the magic formula and get it right, I would
always be successful. That belief is a fallacy that has used a lot of time and
energy without providing much value. It is like the millionaire morning kind of
thing. If I chase someone else’s millionaire morning, I will never find my
morning. We tend to chase after the right way to do things by looking
everywhere except within ourselves. Do not get me wrong, I am not suggesting an
eternal internal adventure, alone, without any guidance. I am suggesting that
the answer we are searching for, the how do I do this right, is not a
destination and it is not a solo trip. And the thought that there is a right and
a wrong way has lost its luster. There are ways that work, ways that do not
work and when I do something it may work and when you do the same thing it may
not work. We come by this right way/wrong way honestly. Think about the tests
you took in school. Get the wrong answer often enough and you fail.
Ambiguity is not something that I was taught in school. I do
not know too many classes that teach students how to shift when life
circumstances change quickly and drastically. Teaching us how to deal with “life”
is usually relegated to therapists and mental health professionals. As if we should
know how to deal with life circumstances, interruptions, and unforeseen disruptions
without being taught how to navigate the feelings that accompany these shifting
times.
Being able to navigate challenging circumstances is what
leaders do better than most, that is why they end up being the leader in any
group. They have discovered what works for them rather than focusing on the
right way to do something. They also have discovered how to enroll others in following
the path they are suggesting. The path they know will move the team forward,
away from, or through the circumstances. Skilled project managers manage the
project while leading the team. Being anchored in their leadership strengths,
being knowledgeable about what works and what does not work for them, and being
enrolling in everything they do, is what a project manager is asked to deliver.
I ride a motorcycle, and what I learned about riding a
motorcycle is that it is easy to go fast and straight. The challenge in riding
a motorcycle comes when you are riding without going fast and straight. The ladder
of risk is a tool used to teach students the dangers of riding a motorcycle.
The same holds true for projects, there is a ladder of risks. The same holds
true for life, there is a ladder of risk. As an example, when riding a
motorcycle, the first rung is a day filled with sunshine, the motorcycle is in
excellent mechanical shape including the tires, the road on which the driver is
riding has high visibility and little traffic, the rider is in a great
emotional state with plenty of rest, has ridden for a few years, has taken a
motorcycle safety course within the past two years, and is wearing supportive
protective gear including a full-face helmet. When any of those conditions
worsen, you move up the ladder of risk. For illustrative purposes, the last rung
of the ladder is riding late at night, in the fall with a lot of leaves on the
road, on a poorly maintained road, it is raining with low visibility, the
motorcycle is in mediocre repair with less than stellar tires, the rider has
been drinking and is wearing shorts, a t-shirt, flip flops, and is not wearing
a helmet.
It is easy to lead a team when the circumstances are
favorable, when you have everything you need to deliver the product or service
requested. The skilled project manager leads the project team when everything
seems to be going in a direction other than what was planned. It is when the
circumstances are changing that the leader becomes the master of change. It is
when the risk is high that the leader leans into the risk. It is when the team
continually changes that the leader becomes and expert communicator. It is when
obstacles arise that the leader looks for the opportunities. It is when the challenges
continue to grow that the strength of character is visible. The leader
continues to look at what is working and what is not working and continues to
be curious about what the possibilities exist in all that is not working.
Leaders are found when circumstances are not what was
planned, they shine when things are not going according to plan, they are not looking
for the right way to do something, they already know that doing it right does
not matter, they know finding what works for them, for the project, for the
solution is what matters. I am not suggesting that any path will work, strength
of character is part of what a leader brings. I am suggesting that right is a slippery
slope, it suggests there is a wrong. What I know today is that there are many
things that work, and there are those that do not work. I love to explore the
possibilities in what works versus trying to find the right way to do
something.
At the end of the day, I practice looking for what worked
and what did not work in my day. There are times that I have interactions and I
look at what worked and what did not work. Practicing what works and what does
not work teaches me that both success and failure are teachers. It teaches me
that comparing and trying to find right does not work because it is not my
authentic leadership, my authentic empowerment, or my authentic self. Looking for
what works for me, using mentorship, coaching, and guides throughout the
process, teaches me how to be the leader that I am, rather than the leader that
I think I should be. For me, there is no one right way to do something, there
is a way that works for the circumstance of the moment. What are you practicing?
