Maraia's Rainmaking Blog

Help Others Get Better

James McNerney, who is currently CEO of Boeing, has operated with this goal in every company he's worked at: "Help others get better."  That should be the operating philosophy of ever senior executive or leader in business today.  I've often told my clients, "If you don't grow, the business won't grow."  This is true at every level of the organization.  Hence if the practice group leader or business unit leader doesn't grow, then their practice group or business unit doesn't grow.  Too many people in business today think the purpose of the business is to make money.  I think the purpose of business is to grow people.  If you do that you will make tons of money.  But the money is the by product not the purpose itself.  

In the March issue of The Maraia Minuteshttp://www.markmaraia.com/newsletters/wheres-your-comfort-zone I point out that current market conditions are impelling us to operate at the edge of our comfort zone.  Leaders must learn to operate at the edge of their comfort zone and must create an environment where they encourage everyone in their firm to operate at the edge of their comfort zone.  I like the way Geoff Colvin describes it in his book Talent is Overrated:  Imagine three concentric circles. The innermost circle is our comfort zone.  The middle circle is the learning zone and the outer circle is the panic zone.  Great performers stay in the middle zone and avoid the other two zones.  We can say the same thing about great leaders or coaches.  They help others stay in the middle zone (the learning zone) and avoid the other two zones.  

So let me ask you a question,  "Where have you been operating for the past week?" Comfort zone, learning zone or panic zone?  As it relates to "helping others get better" where are most of the people who work for you operating?  If you and the people you lead aren't in the learning zone there is no way you can be helping others get better.