“I’ve Got This” (A business man’s double edged sword)
Leaders display confidence in the face of challenge. I’ve got this.
Teammates step up and ‘do’. They jump in when needed. I’ve got this.
If you are talking about ‘my area,’ I’ve got this. I will let you know if I need help.
In all that we do, we hear the words echo on conference calls, resonate in meeting rooms and land on the table during executive lunches.
“I’ve got this.”
We know. We know you’ve got this. But is that the best way to conduct business?
The answer is; Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Let us explore:
Lets start with “sometimes yes.”
We want to fill our teams with people who do stuff. We love to work with those who follow up on anything they said with the proper sense of urgency. If you are building a company or solidifying your team, those are your go-to folks. Their competence allows leaders to focus on other things while they work on the task, goal or initiative at hand.
These productivity assassins succeed by all means necessary. Their relentless pursuit of success is the greatest asset they have. Not only will they get their stuff done, when it comes to jumping in and helping others, they’ve got that too! They will always throw their hat in the ring. They will never let you down. They live by the “I’ve got this” sword. Everyone benefits from this characteristic.
Now for the “sometimes no”
When a concerning issue presents itself, they’ve got that too. But their desire to fix things, control the outcome and get it done can significantly reduce the chances for success. They tend to draw the issue inward and solve it alone. In those cases, they wont make the issue part of a broader conversation. That is bad news for your company.
In addition to dealing with issues and challenges, one of the greatest detriments to the “I’ve got this” leader is when they grab onto an opportunity and run hard at it, alone. They accept limited input from others and find it difficult to bring cross-functional leaders into the mix. In short, they behave like a superhero, a Lone Ranger. That also is bad news for your company.
In a company with a runaway group of “I’ve got this” leaders, you may find a bunch of individuals acting like silos, never experiencing the Three T’s (Teamwork, Transparency and Trust). A company with a culture lacking the Three T’s is doomed to fail.
Strike a balance
The only way to find the happy medium is to demand communication, demonstrate trust and decide to work together. Building a culture consisting of Three T’s is the answer. We want a room full of “I’ve got this” leaders operating in an environment of Teamwork, Transparency and Trust. Build your team with people who have a relentless energy and desire to win and place them in an intentional culture fostering success. In that scenario, you will live by the “I’ve got this” sword, grow by the sword, become great by the sword and avoid the deadly blade on the other side of the sword.
