You Are the Shield, Not the Sword.

Advice to help managers evolve into capital-L Leaders.

The dentist sucks. I can’t think of a single time I’ve ever been to the dentist and thought, “This will be great!” The mere thought of that scalpel-like plaque scraper scratching along my teeth makes me shudder. And I’m on the other side of forty. Imagine what going to the dentist is like for kids.

I took my oldest daughter to the dentist yesterday. She’s six, and she’s sensitive as well as generally cautious. As soon as they led us back to the examination chair, the dental hygienist flipped on The Jungle Book — the 1967 Disney cartoon aka the best version (not debatable) — and popped a pair of neon sunglasses onto her face. She was calm, conversational… in fact, she was downright vibin’.

After the dentist came in and checked her out (no cavities!), I asked him why he gave each kid sunglasses. His answer was equally rational and emotional. The glasses help to protect the kids’ eyes from the glare of the lights while being examined. They also help the kids feel cool. The sunglasses are a shield so that the kids will relax and confidently endure the examination.

Leaders need to be shields for their teams. The number one role of a leader is to foster an environment where people feel like they can relax and attempt to do their best work. As I’ve led teams of five to fifty throughout my career, I have always stood by one principle above others: my job is to ensure that my team can do their jobs. Providing an environment for people to feel like they can attack their work positively, proactively, and with the right amount of risk and creativity is how I’ve learned to maximize productivity and accountability.

Too often, senior executives can take the opposite approach. He/she/they attempt to serve as the ‘sword’ for the team — driving things forward, be it ideas, projects, or plans. In turn, they expect their team to shield them — usually from undesirable outcomes, criticism, or both. This is completely backward, it’s the antithesis of leadership. I believe in the axiom, “People don’t leave companies. They leave managers.” I’ve fallen prey to this. It can be difficult to pull yourself out of the work itself. It can create anxiety when you try to leave the details to others. It’s also what you have to do if you’re going to set a strategic vision and enable true transformation.

Younger generations are more willing to leave jobs, period. 83% of Gen Z employees consider themselves to be “job hoppers.” Right off the bat, as a leader, you’re fighting an uphill battle to retain good talent. Now moreover, consider that in addition to salary, things like meaningful work and growth are crucial to these employees feeling fulfilled. According to ResumeLab, 7 in 10 employees want a healthy environment, even over a higher salary.

Let’s assume that the data skews a bit high, with an assumption that most people ultimately want to make more money and better their station in life. Even if this is off by 20, 30, or even 40%… That still means somewhere between three and five out of every ten Gen Z employees are willing to bolt their current roles for more meaningful work above all else. It’s not just the younger generations, either. Millennials are now in what I consider the prime ‘leap’ era of their careers. The ‘leap’ era age range is typically in the mid-to-late 30s and early 40s, and I’m defining it as when a worker is promoted into senior managerial roles. Millennials also value purpose over paychecks, according to Gallup.

If you’re a leader, what do you do with this information? The short answer is to embrace it. Embrace the notion that talented people who work for you may move on. Embrace that being their shield means allowing them to be your sword. Put them in positions of strength, offer opportunities to stretch their skills, and show trust — even when failure appears more than possible. When the perplexing pivot, confused command, or hacked-off hellfire comes raining down from C-Suite Peak, you mustbe the one to shield them from a direct hit. Even if it means taking a mortal wound yourself. THAT is leadership. That is the difference between someone who manages the flow of tasks versus someone capable of motivating and inspiring people to stretch and grow.

This isn’t as difficult as you think. Like any skill, it requires practice and focus. Your goal should be to improve 1% every day. Do that, and within three months you’ll be twice as good a leader as when you started. Some core areas to focus on:

Accept Reality

Acknowledge that people will leave your team. Understand that this can be a good thing. I’ve seen so many people leave my teams to go on to bigger, better things. It makes me proud. One of the best ways to recruit (and retain) talented people is to show that you put them first.

Communicate With Curiosity

Leaders should set a standard for questioning. Seek to understand. Admit you don’t have all the answers. Train teams to be good questioners by demonstrating it. Instead of telling someone what you think they need to do in a given situation, ask them what they think the right approach is.

Empower to Spur Growth

A wise little green man once said, “the greatest teacher, failure is.” People can’t learn in a bubble. The best thing you can do for your team is to show trust in their talent and intelligence. Allow them to make decisions and yes, some of those decisions won’t pan out. It’s not a failure if something is learned that delivers results later.

Most important of all is that you have to be yourself. Don’t try to imitate a leader you admire. Digest how they lead, then emulate those core traits in your own way. There’s more than one way to connect, communicate and motivate. One of the worst mistakes you can make is trying to take on someone else’s personality or style. If you’re not authentic, your team will know, and they’re likely to reject your leadership attempts.

If you aspire to be a leader, practice this today with peers. Stretch yourself to demonstrate to decision-makers that you have what it takes to motivate people to achieve more. If you are currently in a position to lead — now is the time. Give your team those sunglasses; help them feel confident, connected and clear to avoid the worst pain of all — toxic team vibes. Enjoy their ability to lead work. Celebrate if they outgrow you. It means you did your job.