I recently interviewed for a team lead job but wasn't selected because I don't
have leadership experience how can I lead what I'm not in charge well you're
in charge of something you're certainly in charge of something you're in charge
of some piece of gear you're in charge of some tasks you're in charge of maybe
a couple people here there but even if you're not you're in charge of something
so whatever you're in charge of take charge of it take charge of whatever
your task is you take charge of it you own it you do it to perfection that once
you've got that completely dialed then you know what you reach out and you see
who else you can help you help with other tasks you look for work if you
look for work you're gonna find it all right you're gonna find it you're gonna
find it you're gonna start taking things from other people now what you have to
be careful of is that you don't step on toes right because just about everyone
think about this just about everyone is offended by someone that wants to be in
charge hey let me let me let me take charge of this here makes people cringe
what I take lead on this you know what hey listen up guys right these if you're
that guy then everyone goes hmm now there's a key point this this is
beautiful this is beautiful so let's say we're in a platoon there's something
going on in a mid-grade position and I realize like I want to be a leader right
now if I just go in and guys hey guys let me run this next mission people like
do what do you know what are you talking about you know anything hmm okay and
they're and they're kind of dug in against me by the way at that point yeah
if I give it an if I let things escalate a little bit what I would usually do is
I would I would let things escalate to a point to where when I took charge people
were waiting for it and they were happy that I took charge then that even I was
even I wasn't asking to commander like if you're tasking the commander okay so
I got lathe and stone are working for me I'm tasking to Commander we're out on an
operation something starts going wrong right let's say Leif's doing a building
clearance with his platoon something starts going wrong I jump down there and
say all right guys push it over that way start clearing that hallway how does
they feel yeah kind of yeah fees he feels like I jumped down and micromanage
his platoon and why are you doing this thing was going fine so I don't want to
do that I want first of all I wanted to work things out of course so what let's
say same things happening things are going a little bit bad they're starting
to be a little bit of confusion they're starting to be escalated voices they're
started people you know hey what wait no don't go there you can hear it it's
really obvious when things are going wrong I might let that escalate a little
bit let it get to a point where the Lafe knows he doesn't have control this
anymore now I come down and go hey everyone lock
it up you four hold on that hallway you two start clearing that back room
everyone else get to the rooftop a little security you know what everyone
thinks including life they go thank God that doesn't happen right now and that
can happen from anywhere in the chain of command I'm happy I happen to be given
an example of when I was the task unit commander but I would do the same thing
when I was a an e5 which is oath ings are going a little bit sideways no one
wants to hear the guy that as soon as the opportunity as soon as there's any
void of leadership you're just like jumping in there like okay guys Captain
America to the rescue right you don't want to do that you want to let them
what I'll tell you what happens if there's a little tiny void that you try
and jump into guess what you're gonna do you're gonna bump into everyone else
that's that's in that void it has to mean an actual void of leadership
once that actual void of leadership opens up and it's big enough you jump in
there and you and because you've detached because you are detached cuz
you're watching it happen you jump in there and you have so much confidence in
what you're saying you have so much understanding of the situation you look
like a genius and everyone's happy that you just did that
and by the way as soon as that problem gets solved you step back out the
leadership void is closed up by someone else and you're good to go and next time
people people will not be surprised at all when something goes wrong and you
step in and you solve the problem yeah so that's what you should do you yes you
want to be in charge yes you should look for work but you can't step on toes
don't jump in every time chance you get like Captain America I'm gonna save the
day no you're not let there be a real problem
assess it from the outside and like I said you got to be careful about being
Captain America you got to be careful about being I'm gonna sob
ready to stand up every moment and that's a problem you know it's a problem
when someone when someone's goal this is gonna sound weird when someone's goal is
to be a leader right like my goal is to be a leader like if that's what they're
thinking that's gonna that's gonna offend people mmm it's gonna offend
people cuz and I'll tell you why it offends people to rightfully so you know
why it offends people because what is it about themselves it's about me I want to
be a leader I me me want to lead that's what it's about and everyone recognized
that if what you really want to do is you want the team to win and you realize
that sometimes you're going to be in a supporting role and sometimes there
might be another situation where you need to lead almost hesitantly you know
what leadership needs to happen I'll go make it happen because the team needs it
to win I'm here for the team so don't be the person about yourself
we don't like that person I don't even like that person as much as I love
people that want to step up and lead I don't want that person that's like
looking for themselves yeah sometimes you got to be following I want someone
that's like hey oh cool I got your back don't worry about I'm over here I'm over
here part of the Train I'm over here clearing rooms oh wait a second there's
a leadership void and now there's an actual problem going on oh and then that
person suddenly steps up and solves a problem then goes right back down to
their level awesome that's the person you want and
that's the person you want to be yeah yeah you know like not either why I hear
it a lot nowadays with add value you just want to add value so essentially
what you're doing if you're not a lip situation it's like boom I'm gonna add
value so one okay we're gonna start with my own role you know that's where I'm
gonna add the most value my own role but if there's little voids in whatever
capacity that needs some value-added I'm going to add that value we can't just be
piling on the value where it's not needed no don't-don't-don't pour our
additional value into non value needing areas exactly that's problematic too
much value it's true