“You’re too focused on professional development.”
Have you ever heard that from someone you respected?
Leading a team consists, broadly, of managing the business (the thing your team does that brings the company value) and investing in your people (professional development and maintaining a culture that is supportive, collaborative, and inclusive).
Throughout my management career, I tended to spend more time and energy on the second.
At some points, it might be argued that this focus on development came at the expense of me tracking the business results.
At several points in my career, I received that feedback. On a couple of occasions, it led to me being passed over for a new role or suffering through uncomfortable performance reviews.
My argument was, and continues to be, that if you hire quality employees and invest in them personally, the results will follow. High-performing individuals are predisposed to focus on the work. They join the team and the organization with skills, experience, and knowledge that help them uncover what success looks like in their new role.
When faced with an obstacle or an issue they have less experience in, they also frequently have the mindset of “I will figure this out.” What they need is to be able to work unencumbered by meaningless tasks, negative interpersonal dynamics, and poor leadership. They also need to feel like their career is going in the right direction and that their professional goals can be met by doing the things they are currently involved in.
Some team leaders focus more on the business, and some, like me, focus more on the people. Both are important, so what is the right mix?
Great mentors and leaders in my life helped me develop a couple of guidelines to assist me in monitoring this balance while staying true to my authentic leadership style.
If Business Is Bad, The Focus Needs To Be The Business.
In sales, this is easy to identify. If you are tracking to miss your goal by a significant amount, business is bad. As a people leader, you should be reviewing past reports, analyzing trends in the business, assisting your team members with important sales calls, and correcting behaviors detrimental to sales achievement.
In other roles, it might look like a big project is behind schedule or a client is displeased with services and requires additional attention. For others, it might look like dysfunction between stakeholders or significant external pressures like market or regulatory changes.
In these circumstances, the energy and attention need to be focused on finding solutions to improve the probability of positive outcomes for the individual and the team. A leader’s job is to identify opportunities that others have yet to find and to support better business execution throughout the team.
Professional Development Only Works When The Individual Is Interested In Growing.
Consistent performers: Every strong team has team members who are appropriately content in their role. They are not apathetic or detached. They simply believe they are in the right role for their current season in life. Maybe they are unwilling to make the sacrifices that a new role would require (i.e., travel, managing people). Perhaps they believe they are in a role that is the right mix of challenge and stability. Regardless, you want them on your team. They are an asset to the company. And they are likely to be less interested in robust development plans and big stretch assignments. A leader’s role in these scenarios is to continue to offer opportunities to grow but make more of their coaching effort about helping that person excel in their current role.
Poor performers: Most teams are at risk of having low performers or normally productive team members who experience periods of low performance. If an employee is not consistently meeting the minimum expectations of the position, their focus (and yours as their leader) needs to be on adjusting behaviors to meet these expectations.
Know Your Environment – Follow Your Leader.
Ultimately, unless you own your own company, you report to someone. And even as an owner, there may be a board or partners to whom you are accountable. The responsibilities of the role are defined by a job description but are often shaped by the direct manager.
If your leader is focused more on business, it would likely make for a more productive relationship and a better work environment if you mirrored their focus. Conversely, if they are more focused on people, they will have certain expectations around how much time you spend in this area with your team.
Finding your own guardrails could be an important part of your leadership journey.
How do you determine what the right mix of business and people development is for your business? How does your current environment shape your answers?
Discover the Right Mix for Your Leadership Style
If you’re unsure whether your current leadership approach is serving both your team and your business, let’s talk through it together:
No obligation—just a chance to explore how clarity can be your foundation for better decisions, confident leadership, and thriving teams.
