Don't be a Lawnmower Leader

Stop enabling and start empowering

This week’s newsletter was inspired by my conversation with a friend about parenting.

Our kids play sports, and more often than not, they complain and don’t want to go to practice (as all kids do) because it is “hard.”

She said, “I feel bad for making them go, but I want to teach them that sometimes we must do hard things. I’m trying not to be a lawnmower parent.”

I've been around the parenting block a few times, but I must admit, I'd never encountered this term before.

“What’s that?” I asked.

In my work, I started thinking about this concept, coaching leaders on building effective and empowered teams.

The more I thought about it, the more I had seen lawnmower leadership.

Then I realized that

I had practiced lawnmower leadership

too.

There were times when I thought it would be easier to handle aspects of a project so that it would be easier for my team members.

The result: I didn’t give them a chance to learn from the “hard things”, nor empower them because I would take care of it. In addition, this resulted in undue stress and pressure on me.

An argument could be made that this is a positive leadership trait, and I was being supportive.

I agree that this leadership is sometimes appropriate. But as leaders, we need to know when to step in and help vs. when we might be enabling.

What causes Lawnmower leadership

At the foundation, it is about trust.

Like parenting, lawnmower leadership doesn’t come from a place of harm. The primary reason many leaders practice lawnmower leadership is that they think they are helping.

Where is the line between enabling and coaching?

Think about these 5 things when looking to take on a project yourself:

• Do I trust in my team's abilities?
• Do I need to prove my value by taking on this challenging task?
• Do I believe my team's lack of experience or skills can't handle this challenging project?
• Do I fear failure and its potential impact on my career?

Next time you want to do something yourself, ask yourself if this project would be a good learning experience for your team members and if it will help them grow.

If the answer if YES, then empower them to get it done.

It will be uncomfortable; however, giving them the opportunity will help them learn to be self-sufficient, productive, and engaged.

Let go of the lawnmower and let people forge their way.

To summarize (TL;DR)

• Lawnmower leadership is when a task is taken to shield your people from hard things.
• Trust is built on empowerment.
• Recognize when a good learning opportunity is presented.
• Empower others to learn.

Remember, self-awareness is the key to outstanding leadership.

You can #bebrilliant!

I hope this advice helps you empower your team.

If you feel like you or a member of the team could use more strategies for building a service culture, consider setting up a time with me: Book a meeting​

Do you already have a Brilliant Culture? You can find more helpful articles here: Check out the resources.

Did you miss a newsletter? More ways to #bebrilliant: Check out the newsletters.​

See you next week!

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Hi! I'm Suzanne I founded Brilliant Workplaces, a consulting agency that helps businesses with systems for Marketing, Customer, and Employee Experience.​ The #bebrilliant newsletter was created for those who want best practices and systems to build your brand, establish an authority position, and achieve personal and professional growth. Do you know someone who would love this newsletter? Please forward it and have them sign up here. ​​​