—To follow is a bullet of wisdom on leadership. It comes from Tom’s rifle, named Shot, who has seen it all. You’ll get the drift by clicking Blog in the menu at www.tomnewhouse.com. —
I WAS THERE when a shotgun friend of mine accidentally blew the arm off a young man. Whew! The shot missed his face, and the arm was made somewhat functional again. But what a lesson! I say, “Safety first and always.”
Okay, Shot has covered physical safety. But psychological safety is important too, especially with teams. Teams are big investments toward big wins. They are often formed to find and try new things, which, of course, involve risk. Risks run parallel to breakthroughs. But teams won’t take investment risks unless they feel safe. When teams experience trust, curiosity, confidence, and inspiration, they can succeed. Without these things, teams are in danger, although they may not know it. Try these things: Collaborate; talk with, not at; be curious, not blameful; and “check in” to see how teams are “holding up.”