Leadership Dinner Guests

Almost every evening, my kitchen turns into a game show set.

The simple question “Who’s making dinner?” launches my family into quiz mode.

We huddle up and evaluate our options—do you want to cook, do you want me to cook, or should we ask one of the kids to cook?

As a leader, you may determine that your mission requires capabilities that aren’t natural strengths among your team members.

You’ll need to determine who’s in the best position to close the gap by asking yourself these three questions:

WHO’S IN THE ROOM?
Which of your team members has natural strengths that are most similar to those needed? Gain their commitment to stretch, and coach them up.

WHO’S IN THE BUILDING?
Where do you have bench strength—those high performers who are a level down? This is a great chance to develop future leaders while improving your execution.

WHO’S ON THE STREET?
Can you hire a new team member to own the current gaps? You can better align your team with your mission by expanding its capabilities and evolving your team dynamics.