The author of The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, has a marvelous quote about leadership and inspiring people to strive to be their best:
If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.
I speak to this quote in Chapter 4 of The Four Fundamental Forces of Leadership. I state that true leaders don't simply gather resources and tell them to do certain tasks in certain ways. True leaders help people see what is possible and help them discover their internal fire and the path to their own greatness.
As I work with the players and executives I coach, I realize more and more that the long-term (and even medium-term) success of individuals and teams depends on leaders helping members of the team grasp the immensity of the possibilities within them and allow them to explore.
Now, this doesn't mean leaders should let people go willy-nilly and experiment with things that aren't connected with your mission, plan or the standards you've set forth. Leaders set forth the standards for behavior and performance as well as communicate the mission. They guide and encourage the people they lead to explore potential and help them see things they haven't experienced before.
The possibilities will look different depending on where that person is on their journey. It's up to the leader to see acknowledge that and help each person individually or through others.
Beginners - Those people that are new to a role or an experience who are like a stone slab that has a great sculpture hidden within it. They need a little bit of an expert to help them get started in new areas, but also are most open to the open space.
Intermediates - These people have a base of knowledge in certain areas, but they may not have been allowed or inspired to see more. These people may have developed habits that run contrary to what the team is doing that may need adjustment. Since they have a base of understanding engaging them to share their knowledge in the application of innovation can be quite powerful.
'Experts' - In terms of leadership and seeing the possibilities, I'm not certain there can be a real expert. If one is quite good in these areas, they will tell you they are in a constant state of learning and growth. The ones that see themselves as experts may be from a technical perspective. This is where many managers are. They got promoted because they were able to do their job well. However, they are usually not great leaders or inspirational people. These people, if you can help them see the light, will be the ones that can transform an organization because they can extend their reach much father than you can.