Lead with clarity.
And without micromanaging.
The Lever Model is a simpler, more effective way to lead a team. Managers at all levels create clarity by setting direction through the What, How and Why, so the team can do their best work with more autonomy, engagement and impact.
Clear direction is harder than it sounds.
Managers usually know what they are trying to say. They usually have the background the context and the good intentions behind the message they’re trying to convey. But what feels clear in their own minds doesn’t always translate. Sometimes the message stays so high-level that people are left guessing. Other times, in an effort to be clear, managers give so much direction that it becomes micromanagement.
Either way, the result can be confusion, frustration, and misalignment.
The challenge is knowing what people need from you, and how much.
Three Levers a manager can pull to set direction.
The What Lever
This helps the team focus.
It’s clarity on the outcome the team is working toward and what each person owns.
It answers:
What is the outcome of the work?
What does the goal look like?
What is each person’s part?
The Why Lever
This helps fuel the team.
It makes more clear the reason to care about the work, and the connection to the person and to the team.
It answers:
Why does this work matter?
Why might it matter to them?
What lights this person up?
The How Lever
The helps the team execute.
It’s clarity on the skills, standards and ways of working that help the team accomplish the goal.
It answers:
How do we work together?
What’s the standard here?
Which norms need naming?
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast. “
Peter Drucker, legendary consultant, and the “father of management”, knew the power of team culture.