My daughter just got her driver’s license last week.
It’s a bittersweet milestone. On one hand, my unpaid role as a chauffeur is no longer required. On the other, those small moments of connection between us during school pick up and drop off and other drives are less frequent. Such is parenting.
But I wanted to talk to you about becoming a driver, which works very much like becoming anything. It starts with L plates. Through LEARNING.
When we first get into a car, having spent years watching the adults in our lives doing it, we might feel like we already know how to do it. I’ve been watching them do it for years, how hard can it be?
We don’t know what we don’t know, and this unconscious incompetence can get in the way of learning progress. A few wrong turns can easily shake our confidence.
At this stage, what we need most is patient directions and how-to information. Then, as we get more experienced, we need less and less of that how-to direction, and more coaching and feedback to sharpen our skills.
If my daughter sat in the driver’s seat and she was expected to know how to drive without any step-by-step directions on how to start the car, brake gently, check her mirrors, etc, driving would very quickly turn very dangerous. And her confidence in the act could very quickly plummet, with the smallest missed step she wasn’t prepared for.
We need a specific type of support at each stage of the learning process. In leadership, we call this situational ➡AKA situational leadership.
Situational leadership is about helping people based on where they are in their capabilities and skills.
Based on where they’re at.
Not based on where we’re at.
Understanding and applying situational leadership is such a key leadership skill that whether you’re welcoming a new team member, or coaching an existing employee – recognising what your team members need from you is crucial.
All good things,
Juliet Robinson
Leadership and Change Specialist
PS: There’s a great lesson in Module 2 on situational leadership in the Leadership Essentials Programme you can access immediately when you join.
