I do a lot of work with people around their teams – and what I’ve come to see is that it’s a 50/50 split when something isn’t working.

• 50% of the time it’s a “wrong person was hired for the role” issue.
• And the other 50% of the time it’s a leadership issue – not leading them effectively so that they can do their best work.

It’s easy to default to assuming the first part is the problem – it’s them. Although this can be true, I recommend checking first to see if it might be a leadership issue vs. saying “this person isn’t a fit” and looking to hire again… which can be costly in terms of time, energy and money!

This requires that we come from a place of curiosity – and sometimes vulnerability – to ask ourselves:

Is it possible to take a different approach to leadership that might bring out the best in this person? That might make it work?
Was I clear in my expectations of the role and the results that I’m looking for?
Did I get agreement from them to ensure we are on the same page?
Do they have access to all of the tools, information and resources they need to get the work done?
Is there anything I’m doing that might be (inadvertently) getting in the way?

These can be tough questions to ask ourselves, as it forces us to take a look in the mirror and see where we need to improve in our leadership. Where we aren’t as effective as we could be.

And yet… the beauty of leadership is that it’s often the little things that can make a big difference! Slight tweaks in the way we engage with our team members can – at times – change everything.