Once a group is motivated, it needs to be enabled to get on and go about making that better world you’ve sketched.
The key idea here is that as a leader you don’t do, you get others to do. This speaks to delegation and organisational structure. You move from playing in the orchestra to conducting it. From doing magic with the soccer ball to coaching magic from soccer players.
The basic questions you answer as you delegate activity through the organisation are:
- What must be done to achieve our vision?
- Who is going to do it? (The answer of “Me” is always the wrong answer if you’re a leader. If it is unavoidable then the immediate follow-on question is “Who am I training up to replace me?”)
- What do they need to be able to deliver?
With that clear in your mind, you need to delegate those responsibilities. When delegating you want crystal-clear agreement on what the delegate is going to deliver. Be clear on the accountability of what they deliver but give them freedom around how they deliver it. And let that interaction be a two-way conversation, not one-way dictation. Hear their concerns and ideas, shape them, and agree them mutually.