How Not to be a Ball Hog
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With 64 regular season wins and early success in the playoffs, the Phoenix Suns are having a great year. This fact is not surprising given that Chris Paul led the league in assists. Data shows that the more assists made during a game, the more scoring occurs. After all, when the leader on the court consistently passes the ball, there are multiple options for success. This is true for organizational leadership as well.
Ed O’Boyle (2022) explains that leaders have gained their position because they are used to performing at top levels when it matters. It is for this reason leaders also avoid sharing decision making. In fact, a recent Gallup poll showed that just 22% of workers believe they are trusted to make decisions. In other words, they are afraid to “pass the ball,” which they cannot afford.
Best leadership practices encompass staff empowerment through shared decision making and eliciting diverse perspectives. These actions show trust in one’s team and create greater engagement than micromanagement practices. As a result, not only will leaders more likely retain their best teachers, but the school will become more agile and better able to adjust to future challenges.
O’Boyle provides four pieces of advice for engaging your staff in the decision-making process.
Practice before the “Big Game”: Like with anything, decision-making takes practice. Practice with your team, so they will be equipped to do it on their own.
Fail Forward: Use mistakes as learning opportunities for future decisions.
Bench your star player: Intentionally move away from constantly relying on your go-to staff member (which might even be yourself) and distribute leadership opportunities. Doing so will also give your star players the chance to facilitate team success.
Call a time-out and reposition your talent: Challenging your team with new tasks may unlock hidden strengths.
You can read the entire Gallup article here.
Source: O’Boyle, B. E. (2022, April 29). A March Madness Lesson for Leaders: Don’t Hog the Ball. Gallup.Com. Retrieved May 6, 2022, from https://www.gallup.com/workplace/391007/march-madness-lesson-leaders-don-hog-ball.aspx?utm_source=workplace&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=workplace_newsletter_apr_04052022&utm_term=newsletter&utm_content=here_are_four_textlink_1&elqTrackId=ad6262bab77840e79ed66509c35933bb&elq=25d7d8a6e4bc4d0e9e15251a5ec246e8&elqaid=8433&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=1826