#Beingaleader means you have to understand the 80/20 rule and work hard at overcoming it. The 80/20 rule states that 80% of the work gets done by 20% of the people. We’ve all seen it. A few people doing most of the work. The rest are helping in some capacity but frankly, you’re not sure you’d miss them if they didn’t show up at all.
#Beingaleader means your first focus is on the 20%. After all, they are the ones who have bought-in and are making things happen on your team. You must continue to inspire them. Encourage them. Celebrate them. Show them their growing potential and also their own leadership potential. They are the key to the success of the team. Never take them for granted.
However, #beingaleader also means you should attempt to inspire the 80%. They are on your team but are not moving the ball forward to any measurable degree. The goal should be to move these people from saying “them” to “us”. For example, if someone says “I wish they would do something” they are usually part of the 80%. They don’t consider themselves part of the team to the extent where they view any problem as our problem. This often can be seen in small things. If someone leaves trash on the floor and a person walks by it, sees it, and continues on, they are the ones that wish someone would clean that up. An owner, however, would simply pick up the trash, discard it and move on.
But how do you get people to take ownership? To feel a sense of belonging to the team? Shaking them profusely is not the accepted methodology! However, increasing your vision casting; increasing your inclusion of them in critical functions (along with others) can often lead to incremental increase in their involvement. You don’t want it to be like a ‘group project’ in college where 4 people don’t care and 2 people do and so the 2 people do all the work. (A totally random example….) Instead, put one person from the 80% on a team of the 20%’ers and see if it rubs off on them. Look for those where you see potential and that they just need to be in with the right group and see if they won’t blossom in that context.
#Beingaleader means you seek buy-in from as many on your team as possible. Push beyond the 20%. It’s better for you. It’s better for them.
Being A Leader 