Being Lazy is a Good Thing?

BEING LAZY IS A GOOD THING? BY ALEX FAUST COO OF GROWTH INSTITUTE

I’m currently reading, The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier.

Michael claims the role of a leader is actually a coach. He mentions that you have to “discover the question that will make you more useful to those you manage, while working less hard and you decide that being lazy is a good thing after all.”

I thought, wait... being lazy is a good thing? It feels very counter-intuitive to everything I have lived by.

However, what Michael goes on to discuss is that when we are running around solving problems for people and giving advice, we are not working in the best interest of ourselves, or our teammates.

As leaders, sometimes we need to stop doing and start coaching. For example (taken from the book), when our team asks for help or is struggling, we need to stop playing the role of “rescuer.” As a coach, we need to fight the high-performer urge to do it ourselves or come up with all the answers, and instead, help our teammates find their own solutions.

The way to do it is just as the title of his book suggests. Say Less, Ask More! We need to ask more questions.

So next time, an employee or teammate comes to you and asks “How do I... [insert task that you would typically get suckered into taking over]?”

We can say, “That’s a great question and I have some ideas which I can share, and before I do, I’m wondering if you have any thoughts about how to do it?”

Once they answer, continue digging in, by asking “That’s terrific, what else could you do?”

And before long, chances are you will have coached them through finding the answers and solutions themselves.

So at the end of the day, it’s not about being lazy in the sense of doing nothing, but allowing your team to do the work they are capable of. You become the coach instead of the player.

Alex Faust is the COO of Growth Institute. Growth Institute is designed specifically for inspired and passionate CEOs, business owners, and founders who are driven to excel, grow their company 10x, and create the freedom and lifestyle you crave. Listed on the Inc. 5000 4 years in a row, our team of diverse professionals is leading the current movement in hybrid or blended education for business growth. We are helping our community of leaders scale their impact and reduce drama with world-class education and training with the world’s best thought leaders. We are making it easier for busy teams to learn new techniques and methodologies that will help their business and personal goals. Follow Growth Institute on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/ growth-institute/ Reprinted with permission.