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Don't ignore the seasons. Perhaps you felt overwhelmed as I covered the different roles involved in cultivating leaders. Each is necessary & profitable, but you don’t have to play all of them simultaneously. There are seasons.
My Leadership Job Description
When I first took on the role of team leader, I received a 2-page job description. As I read through it, I thought, “I can’t do all this. Nobody can do all this!” I then reminded myself that this wasn’t my “Tuesday job description.” What I mean is this job description was not a task list for me to do today. This was a description of the kind of work I would do in this role and probably do for a long time.
“Even though I knew I didn’t have to do it all today, the prospect of just deciding where to start seemed pretty intimidating.”
Whew! I felt relieved, but then came the question, “Where do I start?” We had moved around the world and seen our second child born all within the previous year. Margin already felt thin. Even though I knew I didn’t have to do it all today, the prospect of just deciding where to start seemed pretty intimidating.
I began a new habit. At the end of each month, I recorded what had seemed to be most important for that month. Because we were working on a college campus, I knew there would be a natural rhythm to the year. I hoped this reflection would teach me the seasons of this new context.
Learning the Seasons
The seasons are different everywhere. I can’t just tell you what the seasons are like where you are. I’m still learning so much for myself. And culture changes. What used to be the consistent rhythms of society transform into something new. So instead of giving you a schedule to follow, I want to share my journey of learning about seasons and invite you to take your own journey.
I began a new habit. At the end of each month, I recorded what had seemed to be most important for that month.
I think there are three steps in learning to live and labor according to seasons.
- Knowing the kinds of seasons
- Learning to discern the current season
- Understanding what to do in a given season
This journey is not one you should take alone. We each have our own biases in observations. Everyone tends to observe, explain, and retain things that naturally fit their current worldview. So it is essential to invite others to learn with. Look for those with lives and worldviews shaped by different cultures and personal stories.
Knowing the kinds of seasons
You would naturally be critical of a farmer who wasted what he had because he planted or harvested out of season. But how often have we done something out of season?
It pays to know the season. Recently I’ve had to make some decisions relating to international travel. These tickets are never really cheap, but the season can make a difference of $2,000. Sometimes you get stuck needing to travel last minute at an inconvenient time of year, but it literally pays to consider the season.
In life, there are primarily two kinds of seasons: regular and irregular.
Regular Seasons
Regular seasons happen at a given interval of time. A year is probably the most common interval, but maybe it's a semester if you’re around education. Other contexts could create monthly, bi-annual, quarterly, or some different intervals. The common factor is that it occurs at regular, repeated intervals.
“You can’t ignore these irregular seasons, or they will become a crisis.”
Irregular Seasons
Irregular seasons occur, as you may have guessed, irregularly. They usually have a clear emphasis or objective. Examples could include a project, a conference, a move, turnover/transition in a team, or phases of someone’s personal life like the first year of marriage.
Even though these aren’t regular, you can often see them coming. You can’t ignore these irregular seasons, or they will become a crisis. If you continue ignoring them, you'll always be working from a crisis mode.
Cultivating in season
As you cultivate leaders, their growth will go through different seasons. When you're in these seasons, you can’t ignore or pretend like nothing is different. The cost of ignoring will be paid by both you and them, as well as by those around you. You must intentionally respond to them.
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Learning to discern the current season
If you don’t know what season you’re in, making sense of what’s happening around you can feel overwhelming. What you need are some simple steps to help you walk through the chaos toward clarity.
Each time I’ve stepped into a new role, it has taken a couple of cycles before I felt I had a good understanding of what I should be doing when. As I work with other leaders, the third year almost always feels like the turning point.
Three habits to help you discern the current season:
- Take notes
- Look to the past
- Talk to people
Take note
What do I need to look for? Is there something big coming? If you’ve made a plan for the coming month, where are you on that journey today? And what’s the next step? What is the main obstacle you’re facing right now? What are the best things you’re experiencing right now?
Ask these often and broadly. Write down your answers to help you look for themes. I like my observations to be in the same place as my reminder to capture them. I’ve set up recurring tasks to reflect and take note. I've used both Trello and Asana recently for this.
Look to the past
Where do you look for these observations to discern a season? One place you can look at is in the past. If it’s now the spring, you can now ask, what was most critical last spring or last summer? What did you do or not do the previous spring, which has a significant impact on you today?
Journalling can be helpful. It can be insightful when you record observations along the way and then look back at them with context from today. I’ve set a monthly and semesterly habit of trying to reflect on what season I’m in.
A few years ago, I began recording my observations of the seasons in the growth and maturing of our new team members. This helped me grow in leading new team members in the future. After a few intervals, it can be very beneficial to look back at what you’ve recorded. You'll see patterns arise from your observations.
Talk to people
Discerning a season is not to be done in isolation, so who else can be a part of this process? There are likely others who are currently in a similar role or have been in the past. Seeking input from others is essential for anyone, especially if you are starting a new leadership position.
Here are some questions you could ask of someone:
- What did you do that you saw bear the most fruit in people?
- What did you spend a lot of time on which born little fruit?
- When (during what part of the season) did you do these things?
- When do you usually feel the busiest during the year? Why?
- What’s your favorite time of the year?
- What’s been most rewarding in this role?
The answers to these questions will be rich with insight, and by asking them, you are probably also giving the gift of insight to the person you’re asking.
In discerning the seasons, you’re trying to see the overall picture of what is happening. You're also identifying “what is most important?” and “why?”
You want your life to have meaning and impact.
What if your everyday work and life not only felt natural and intuitive but also aligned with your priorities and positively impacted those around you?
Understanding what to do in a given season
You're beginning to recognize the seasons, but what do you do with that insight. Holding these four themes in tension will guide us as we live well in season:
- Focus
- Freedom
- Flexibility
- Fiesta
Focus
Focus on what is essential. Identifying what’s critical will require further discernment, but once you’ve identified a season, you must ask yourself, “within this season, what must I do?”
Set aside specific time dedicated to the essential things of the season. You will need to consider what kind of time is required.
- Is it to reflect? Perhaps you set aside a morning.
- Is it for conversations? Maybe you set aside lunches.
- Is it to do something with another person? Perhaps it’s best to set aside an afternoon.
These are questions you will work out according to your situation. As you identify what is needed, you will have to work to protect time because other things will come in and compete for that time.
Consider following the 80/20 rule. Identify the most critical 20% of what you need to do and focus 80% of your time on it.
Freedom
When you say “yes” to one thing, you say “no” to another. I can struggle with not doing things on my list, so this can be hard for me. It was helpful to me to write out the goal I’m pursuing and then write a “not-to-do list.” I would list all the things I will need to tell "no" and then permit myself to do this.
This list gives me the freedom to focus on what is more important. This practice has forced some things not to be done and pushed me to delegate tasks to others. Not only did delegation free me up, but it also provided an opportunity for the development of others. Developmental delegation, done well, takes additional time on the front end, so account for this as part of your plan.
Flexibility
Flexibility is going to be needed. There are still a lot of surprises within a season. Sometimes these surprises frustrate me when they feel like they are getting in the way of what’s more important.
I'm not in control of what happens, and neither are you. When we accept this truth, we're freed up to adapt to new opportunities and challenges.
Fiesta
Fiesta! So maybe I got carried away with the alliteration. Seasons produce fruit. And it should be celebrated. Recognizing fruit is also part of my monthly routine, but I’m not very good at it. So I’m inviting others on my team to lead us to the fiesta!
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Seasons continually change, and mastering these themes will prepare you for the journey ahead.
Action Plan
So take some time to review and reflect. Identify past seasons and see if you can name the current season. Consider what you can learn from those past seasons that applies to your context today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Team Leadership
What is team leadership?
Team leadership is a management approach focused on leading and guiding a group of individuals working together towards a common goal. A team leader is responsible for providing direction, support, and guidance to the team members, while fostering a positive and productive work environment.
Team leadership involves setting clear goals and expectations for the team, communicating effectively, and building trust and relationships with team members. It also involves empowering team members to take ownership of their work and contribute their unique skills and perspectives to the team's success.
Some key characteristics of effective team leadership include:
- Communication: Team leaders communicate clearly and effectively with their team members, keeping them informed about goals, expectations, and progress.
- Vision and strategy: Effective team leaders have a clear vision for what they want to achieve and a strategy for how to get there, while also being flexible and adaptable when necessary.
- Empowerment: Good team leaders empower their team members to make decisions and take ownership of their work, while also providing support and guidance as needed.
- Trust-building: Team leaders build trust and strong relationships with their team members, creating a positive and productive work environment.
- Results-oriented: Finally, effective team leaders are results-oriented, focusing on achieving goals and driving performance while also valuing the well-being and development of their team members.
Overall, team leadership is a collaborative and empowering approach to management that values communication, trust-building, and results-driven performance.
What are the different styles of team leadership?
There are several different styles of team leadership, including:
- Democratic leadership: In this style, the leader encourages open communication and participation from all team members in decision-making processes.
- Autocratic leadership: This style involves the leader making decisions and taking control over the team's direction, often with little input from team members.
- Transformational leadership: This style focuses on inspiring and motivating team members to achieve their full potential, often by setting a clear vision and communicating goals effectively.
- Servant leadership: A servant leader prioritizes the needs of their team members, focusing on serving and empowering them to achieve their goals.
- Laissez-faire leadership: In this style, the leader provides minimal guidance or direction, allowing team members to take ownership of their work and make decisions independently.
- Transactional leadership: This style involves setting clear goals and expectations for team members and providing rewards or discipline based on performance.
- Situational leadership: This approach involves adapting one's leadership style to fit the specific situation or needs of the team at any given time.
Overall, each style of team leadership has its own strengths and weaknesses, and effective leaders may use a combination of different styles depending on the situation and the needs of their team.
What are the different skills required for team leadership?
There are several key skills required for effective team leadership, including:
- Clear: Team leaders must be to communicate effectively with their team members, setting clear expectations and goals, providing feedback, and keeping everyone informed about progress and changes.
- Active listening: Leaders need to be able to listen actively to their team members, hear their concerns, ideas, and suggestions, and work collaboratively to find solutions.
- Empathy: Good team leaders value empathy, recognizing and understanding the perspectives of their team members, and working to build trust and strong relationships
- Decision-making: Leaders must be able to make informed decisions based on available information and input from team members, while also being decisive when necessary.
- Problem-solving: Effective team leaders must be able to identify and solve problems that arise within the team, working collaboratively to find creative and effective solutions.
- Motivation and empowerment: Leaders must be able to motivate and empower their team members to take ownership of their work, overcome challenges, and achieve their full potential.
- Delegation and management: Team leaders must be able to delegate tasks effectively, manage resources and timelines, and oversee the work of the team to ensure quality and efficiency.
Overall, effective team leadership requires a combination of interpersonal, decision-making, and management skills, as well as the ability to inspire and empower team members to work collaboratively towards shared goals.
What is servant leadership?
Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy and management style that emphasizes the importance of serving others first before considering one's own needs and desires. It's an approach to leadership that focuses on the well-being and growth of others, rather than solely on achieving organizational goals.
A servant leader prioritizes the needs of their followers or team members, providing them with support, guidance, and mentorship. They are committed to empowering their team members to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
Some common characteristics of servant leaders include:
- Empathy: Servant leaders value empathy, placing themselves in the shoes of their followers to better understand their needs and motivations.
- Listening: They are active listeners, taking the time to listen to their followers' concerns, feedback, and ideas.
- Commitment to development: Servant leaders prioritize the growth and development of their followers, providing opportunities for learning and development.
- Humility: They recognize their own limitations and seek input from others to make informed decisions.
- Stewardship: Servant leaders view themselves as stewards of their organization, working to create a positive impact for all stakeholders.
Overall, servant leadership is about creating a supportive and empowering environment for others to thrive. By prioritizing the needs of their followers, a servant leader can inspire trust, loyalty, and commitment, ultimately leading to better outcomes for the organization as a whole.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
Servant Leadership
What is servant leadership?
Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy and management style that emphasizes the importance of serving others first before considering one's own needs and desires. It's an approach to leadership that focuses on the well-being and growth of others, rather than solely on achieving organizational goals.
A servant leader prioritizes the needs of their followers or team members, providing them with support, guidance, and mentorship. They are committed to empowering their team members to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
Some common characteristics of servant leaders include:
- Empathy: Servant leaders value empathy, placing themselves in the shoes of their followers to better understand their needs and motivations.
- Listening: They are active listeners, taking the time to listen to their followers' concerns, feedback, and ideas.
- Commitment to development: Servant leaders prioritize the growth and development of their followers, providing opportunities for learning and development.
- Humility: They recognize their own limitations and seek input from others to make informed decisions.
- Stewardship: Servant leaders view themselves as stewards of their organization, working to create a positive impact for all stakeholders.
Overall, servant leadership is about creating a supportive and empowering environment for others to thrive. By prioritizing the needs of their followers, a servant leader can inspire trust, loyalty, and commitment, ultimately leading to better outcomes for the organization as a whole.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
How can servant leadership be beneficial in the workplace?
Servant leadership can be beneficial in the workplace in a number of ways, including:
- Improved employee engagement and job satisfaction: When employees feel supported, valued, and empowered by their leaders, they tend to be more engaged and satisfied with their work.
- Increased collaboration and teamwork: Servant leaders prioritize communication, collaboration, and trust-building, which can lead to stronger relationships and more effective teamwork.
- Higher levels of productivity and innovation: When leaders empower their team members to take ownership of their work and contribute their ideas, it can lead to higher levels of productivity and innovation.
- Reduced turnover and absenteeism: Employees who feel supported and valued are less likely to leave their jobs or call in sick, leading to reduced turnover and absenteeism rates.
- Improved organizational culture: Servant leadership can create a positive organizational culture that values growth, development, and well-being for all stakeholders, which can lead to improved morale and outcomes.
Overall, servant leadership can lead to a more positive, productive, and fulfilling workplace environment, benefiting both employees and the organization as a whole.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
How does servant leadership differ from other leadership styles?
Servant leadership differs from many other leadership styles in several key ways:
- Focus on serving others: Servant leaders prioritize the needs and well-being of their followers over their own interests, while many other leadership styles focus more on achieving organizational goals.
- Empathy and listening skills: Servant leaders value empathy and active listening skills to better understand the needs and perspectives of their followers, while some other leadership styles may be more focused on asserting authority or making decisions without input from others.
- Collaboration and teamwork: Servant leaders prioritize collaboration and teamwork, seeking to empower and develop their followers to achieve their full potential, while other leadership styles may be more focused on competition or individual achievement.
- Humility and accountability: Servant leaders view themselves as stewards of their organization, prioritizing the well-being of all stakeholders and taking responsibility for their decisions, while some other leadership styles may be more focused on personal ambition or avoiding blame.
Overall, servant leadership is characterized by a focus on serving others, prioritizing empathy and collaboration, and taking a humble and accountable approach to leadership. While other leadership styles may be effective in different contexts, servant leadership can be a powerful tool for creating positive change and empowering others to reach their full potential.
Learn more about how to cultivate servant leadership.
