The mistakes we made learning to lead

When you talk about leadership from experience, it’s easy to talk only about what went right. The projects that worked, the teams that grew, the companies that got going again. But we’ve learnt more from our mistakes than from our successes. And we think sharing them builds more trust than any achievement.

So here they are. No frills.

Mistake 1: delegating in a hurry

When we were starting out, we delegated too quickly. We were clear that a good leader doesn’t do everything themselves, and we wanted to apply that from day one. We handed important tasks to people who weren’t technically ready, or weren’t ready for the intensity, commitment or consistency those tasks demanded.

The results were clearly negative. And it wasn’t those people’s fault. It was ours, for not checking first whether they had what it took.

What we changed: now, before delegating, we check two things: that the person knows how to do it and that they have the energy to sustain it. And we give them all the knowledge we have, holding nothing back.

Mistake 2: deciding so fast that nobody else decided

We’ve always had a lot of drive. We decide quickly and we like things to happen. For a while we thought that was purely a virtue.

Until we realised that our speed had a side effect: the team waited for us to decide. People are often afraid to decide. And if they have someone beside them who does it without hesitating, it’s very comfortable to wait.

What we changed: we learnt to pause for a second before answering and to ask first: “What would you do?” And to make it clear that mistakes are tolerated. Otherwise, nobody takes a risk.

Mistake 3: applying the same style to every team

Our natural style is collaborative. We like people to take part, make proposals and grow. And we applied it to a production team too. The result was a loss of focus on the daily work that had to get done.

What we changed: we realised that you choose a style according to the team and the moment, not according to taste. In production, what needs doing each day has to be clear and not up for debate; participation has its place, but at the right time.

Mistake 4: thinking it was quicker to do it ourselves

It’s the most common mistake of any new boss, and we were no exception. “I’ll do it myself and get it done sooner.” True, the first time. By the tenth, not any more. Every task you don’t teach is one you’ll keep doing yourself for years.

The proof that we were wrong came much later, when one of us finally delegated what he found hardest to let go of: the strategic plan and the annual budget. Three people from his leadership team did it. And they did it better than he had.

What we changed: today we believe a leader’s job isn’t to do. It’s to develop other leaders.

What helped us change

There was no revelation. There were three things:

• Results. When something goes wrong, the numbers have no ego. They force you to look at what you did.
• Working in different cultures. Leading in eleven countries quickly rids you of the idea that there’s only one right way of doing things.
• Listening to our teams. The best lessons came from people who dared to tell us what wasn’t working.

Our advice for anyone promoted tomorrow

If you’re made a boss for the first time tomorrow, this is what we’d tell you:

1. Your job has changed. You’re no longer paid to do, but to get others to do. The sooner you accept it, the better.
2. Ask more than you answer. Especially in the first few months.
3. Don’t delegate in a hurry or control out of fear. Look at each person and each task.
4. Ask for the truth and be grateful for it. Even when it hurts.
5. Make mistakes, but don’t hide. Your team will forgive you a mistake. They won’t forgive you for blaming others.

And one last thing: park your ego. Your team’s success is your success. It doesn’t work the other way round.