Power Play: Too much partnership means not enough initiative

Power Players are leaders. Though they value partnership and collaboration, they also recognise that too much partnership can mean not enough initiative.

The thing about working together in a team is that it can result in you assuming the other person is doing more (so you relax) and your partner in crime assumes the same.

As a consequence, the details fall through the cracks and nothing gets done quite the way it should.

A successful partnership is a tricky needle to thread. We all need to rely on others in business and it’s healthy to collaborate, but there are times when going it alone is the key to success.

Power Players keep initiative at the top of their list and work for just the right balance between partnership and playing lone ranger. It’s a great skill and only the best Power Players have it.

The story

I do some consulting work for a company and we have weekly training sessions as a team.

As much as the sessions are collaborative, it’s my job and responsibility to shape and drive those sessions. These guys are looking for a leader and I’m it, which means they need me to set the direction and push them a little to learn more and do better.

It works because the content for the sessions is my decision and mine alone. The team members can bring issues to the table and ask for specific issues to be covered, but in the end I need to be responsible for making it happen.