When a Bias for Action Becomes a Leadership Problem

As Sid and I wrapped up our discussion, it was clear that he now saw the pattern that had been holding his teams back for years.

He was a guy with all kinds of ideas and a “bias for action.” And when he was an individual contributor, that served him well. Most of the time anyway.

He would have an idea about how to solve a problem and he would go do it. Immediately.

He didn’t waste time getting input from others or analyzing multiple options. His ideas were usually pretty good, and he built a reputation as a guy who would “run through walls” to get his projects done.

But as he moved his way up the org chart, he became a manager. First, he had just a few direct reports. They were good at listening to his ideas, and they did their best to turn what he had in his mind into reality.

Sid didn’t mind watching over their work and correcting them as they went along. He made sure they did it exactly like he wanted them to. He loved getting down in the weeds with his small team and guiding them through all the details as they implemented his ideas.

When I asked him whether his team members liked having him that involved, he looked at me like he’d never considered that question.

At that point in his career, that wasn’t really a concern to him. All that really mattered was that his idea was implemented just like he envisioned it.

He taught his team that they needed to take action. When he gave them an idea, he wanted it implemented. Right. Now.

He communicated his expectations clearly so everyone knew them.

They knew something else too. Frustration was building within his team.

Everyone saw it. Except Sid.

As he moved up the ladder, the number of people in his organization grew. And so did their frustration.

Because now when he shared one of his ideas, it came from the big boss. The guy who was one, two, or three levels up.

When he was with people in the cafeteria talking about how he would handle a problem, his idea was no longer one of many options to consider. It was now THE solution.

That’s not what Sid intended, but that’s what happened.

And, because that idea came from the man who expected immediate action, the people on his team who heard his ideas knew they had better get busy.

So, his ideas were implemented quickly.

Sort of.

It’s more accurate to say that people’s interpretations of what he mentioned in passing were implemented.

What was actually done rarely matched what Sid had in his mind.

How did those who took immediate action after listening to him discover this disconnect in communication?

He told them.

Sid would explain why their work wasn’t what he wanted and how he would have done it differently.

As you can imagine, he was frustrated and annoyed. But not nearly as much as the people who reported to him.

Unfortunately, scenarios like this happened regularly. Turnover was up and engagement was down.

I suspect that you’re reading this story and it’s obvious to you why things were so bad. You likely have a long list of the things Sid did wrong and how he could improve as a leader.

But let’s be fair. We’re on the outside looking in and it’s so much easier to see gaps in someone else’s behaviors than it is our own.

I know I’ve made leadership errors as bad as Sid’s and others that were even worse.

But his heart was in the right place, and he wanted to improve because he knew he had a problem. That’s why he hired me.

Through our work, he was able to see that his natural tendency to take action immediately was a big contributor to the dysfunction within his organization.

The behaviors that made him so successful were now holding him back.

This can happen to all of us if we’re not careful.

Great leadership isn’t about collecting more advice. It’s about knowing which advice fits. And, more importantly, which doesn’t.

And there’s a trap I see leaders like Sid fall into over and over again.

And, sadly, I constantly hear well-meaning authors and speakers saying things that are pushing leaders like him directly into that trap.

In fact, I heard it again yesterday on a podcast I was listening to as I was watering the sheep at the barn.

The host and the guest were talking about how important it is for leaders to act without hesitation. “Those who are successful are those with a bias for action,” they said.

That’s good advice for a lot of leaders. But not for everyone.

Some leaders, like me, tend to overanalyze decisions and take too long to get started. Personally, a reminder to just make a decision and do something is good for me to hear.

That isn’t the case for leaders like Sid.

He was taking plenty of action. Too much, in fact. And he was acting too quickly.

He improved as a leader when he slowed down. He became a better leader, and his team performed better.

When he began to ask others to critique an idea he shared before he told them to go do it, they avoided wasted time and effort.

Many times they would realize during the evaluation process that they shouldn’t go ahead with what at first seemed like a good idea. Previously, they wouldn’t have discovered this until they had invested precious time, money, and energy in something that was not good for the business.

And the overall morale of the people on Sid’s team improved as well.

You know how discouraging it is to have to go back and rethink decisions after you’re in the implementation phase of a project. You may have also experienced having a project completely stopped after you’ve invested your heart and soul in it. You know the kick-in-the-gut feeling that brings.

Once Sid began involving his team in the analysis of his ideas instead of pushing them to act immediately, things like this didn’t happen nearly as often. Their workflow wasn’t always perfect, but it improved a lot.

That’s Sid’s story, and I share it so you can be thoughtful and intentional about how you apply the advice that leaders should have a bias for action.

Do you need to stop overthinking, stop overanalyzing, and finally move on the idea you’ve been considering for your business? As the saying goes, is it time to get off the pot?

Or do you need to remember that taking quick action is something you already do naturally and you can be even better as a leader when you invite others who are wired differently than you are to help you pause and evaluate your ideas before acting?

The right answer depends on you.

Not what someone said on a podcast or wrote in a book.

Self-awareness matters more than popular advice.

I’m curious about your view on the bias for action advice and would love to hear what you think. Reply to this email and let me know. I read every one myself, and reply to as many as I can.

And, if you’d like to talk through things like I did with Sid, let me know. Here’s my scheduling link to have a free 45-minute coaching session to get us started.

Helping you lead with clarity and confidence,

Greg