It’s tough for tough guys

Once, when I was a young project manager, I found “Dave Stitt is a bastard!” scrawled on the wall of the portable toilet. I hate to say it, but it made me feel proud, because I’d been conditioned to think you had to be tough and intimidating to get things done.

Back then we were men of action, who thought big results came from doing everything harder and faster and meaner.

The scales fell from my eyes in the 1990s when I got involved in company culture-change programmes, and insights from less dysfunctional sectors started filtering in. One insight that changed my life was that action on its own does not lead to results. Instead, the true foundation of results is relationships.

Relationships lead to more potent possibilities, which in turn lead to more diverse opportunities, which naturally present more effective actions.

This is sometimes lost on team and company leaders today, who sweat and strain with action but pay no attention to relationships, all while wondering why everything is so stressful and hard, and why the big desired results are elusive.

How are the relationships in your team?

A thoughtful approach to relationships is at the core of deep and deliberate delegation.