I observed a leader who would tell his teams how to do things. His direction included telling them how long the work should take.

Then, he would get upset with the team when things didn’t work out as the leader said it would.

You may have subject matter expertise in your past. You were good at what you did. However, you’re not the expert anymore. Your team is.

Rather than telling your team what’s right or wrong, ask them questions like:

• Help me to understand …
• What makes the job so involving?
• What would be needed to simplify your work?

Asking questions like this will reveal an understanding of how they see their world. Only then will you be able to provide the leadership needed to help them improve.

You’ve got this.