The Paradox of Staying In Your Lane

Posted in Coaching, Community, Disciplined Leadership, Educational Leadership, Global Leadership, Leaders Ready Now, Leadership, Leadership Pipeline, Learning Organization, Strategic Planning, The Disciplined Leader by Dr. Byron L. Ernest on January 29, 2017

Mike Fleisch Graphic Recording of Our Discussion

Have you ever been challenged or, as a leader, challenged someone else to stay in their own lane? Whether your mind conjured up a football analogy or lanes on an interstate, you got the message: Quit trying to lead everyone else’s area, and focus on yours. This really is a paradox, though.

Think about it, because perhaps you heard or have given a different message in a different meeting when the leader, or you, told the team, “Everyone must help get this done. We all must own this.” So, as leaders, what is the right message or best practice? I would argue, we must do both.

This past weekend at one of our task force meetings we got into a lengthy discussion about this paradox. While we know that it is the most efficient thing to have everyone in their own lane, we know that somtimes this just doesn’t work. Here are reasons it doesn’t always eke to stay in our own lanes:

Individuals have not been trained properly to do the work of his lane.
Individuals do not have the resources to do the scope of the work of her lane.
Individuals do not have team to do the work of her lane.
Individuals become overly concerned with everyone else’s position, you may jeopardize playing well in your own lane.
Individualized become overly dependent on others to the point that they do your work for you. Then, you are not serving the whole well.

I believe we must own our own areas, including your realm of responsibility. If you are a leader, you have been given responsibility for a team, and no one should outpace you in passion or concern for the area you lead and steward. If we want to lead the whole, we first lead and be a steward of our lane exceedingly well. Then we will have the respect and be invited into other lanes.

But, let’s not forget the paradox, a great team pulls together in the same direction and shoulders these initiatives together. Therefore, the answer here is to spend most of our time in our own lane, but when needed we can visit other lanes. For this to work, though, we need to make sure our team members are trained properly, have the skills necessary, and understand the nuances of working in other lanes.

Do you and your team understand how to navigate the paradox of staying in your lane?

Byron's Babbles