337. You Are God. That's The Problem.
God created mankind in Her image, in the same way that you create problems in your image. So maybe the problems on your team are not actually problems with your team.
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My name is Jeff Matlow. I am a leadership coach. I help leaders solve their biggest problems fast so they can sleep better at night.
DISCLAIMER:
If you get offended by blasphemy, maybe skip this issue.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Man was created in the image of God.
It says it right there in the Bible.
“Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image’…”
See?
Now, I’m not a deeply religious fellow - I’m not even going to tell you whether or not I believe in God. That doesn’t matter here.
What matters is that the Bible says that we are created in the image of God, as if that should come as some surprise or unique revelation to us.
It’s not.
When you create something - when you create anything - the only option is to create it in your image. There’s no other choice.
And God is no exception.
Creating In Your Image
Before I go further and really start to annoy you, let me clarify the meaning of the concept, “in your own image.”
That term has nothing to do with your physical appearance.
One’s “image”, including God’s, refers to the amalgamation of ideas, beliefs, emotions, and experiences that blend together to form the unique amalgamation that is you.
Consequently, whenever you create something - be it a drawing, a speech, a business presentation, or absolutely anything else - it is inherently a byproduct of your thoughts, intentions, and experiences.
When you create stuff, your only choice is to create it in your image.
Again, God is no exception.
God, being the one who created humanity, had no choice but to create mankind based on Her beliefs, experiences, and ideas.
This is the meaning of Imago Dei.
Literally, “the image of God.”
The Heathen In Me
What I’m about to say next may piss you off - and that’s fine. I’m ready for it.
You may even consider me a heathen - and that’s fine too. I’ve been called worse.
So now that we've got that out of the way, let me get to my point.
The God In You
Leaders are a lot like God.
I’m not saying that leaders are God, but for the sake of this conversation, that happens to be the analogy I’m gonna run with, whether you like it or not.
Because when you are the leader of a company - or even the leader of a team - everything that happens in your company or team is a reflection of you.
As mankind was created in the image of God, everything done on your team is created in the image of the leader - and the leader is you.
Imago Dei.
There’s Always A Secret Patient
As you may remember, my mother is a therapist. She works with children and families.
My mother always used to tell me that when kids are in therapy, the therapy isn’t just about the children.
There’s a secret patient - and that’s the parents.
The parents usually don’t know they are the patient. In fact, the art of the great therapist is to help treat the parents without them feeling like they are the ones being analyzed.
This is exactly what I do in my coaching business. It’s why I’m called a leadership therapist. I help treat business leaders without them realizing they’re the ones being treated.
Let me explain because this is important for you to understand you.
The Biggest Problems In Companies
I get hired by leaders to fix the biggest problems in their companies. It usually comes down to one of four issues:
Communication problems
Lack of alignment
No accountability
Stagnated growth
If you have one of those problems, I’m the fixer you need. Part Ted Lasso, part Navy SEAL, part Brene Brown, I address problems with relentless precision and a witty sense of humor.
But here’s the thing that always happens…
When leaders call me to fix their problems, the leader believes that the problem is poor communication, or lack of accountability, or one of the other four issues.
But they’re wrong.
If you have one of those issues at your company, the issue is not the problem. It’s only the symptom.
As any doctor will say, understanding the symptoms helps diagnose the issue. So I talk with the relevant team members to address the issue, because the leader thinks they have people problems causing the issue.
Leaders usually believe their team members are the problems that need to be fixed.
But like my mother-the-therapist says, the patient isn’t always the actual patient. In my case, the ones that need the most fixing aren’t always the ones I’m focused on fixing.
I help the team members be more effective, but the secret patient is always the company/team leader.
Why? Because when you run a company or team, everything is created in the image of you.
Imago Dei.
The Problem Is Because Of You
Any big problem with your team is a problem that was created because of you.
Do you have a team that doesn’t hold others accountable? If I were a betting man (which I am), I’d bet that their accountability problems are simply a mirror of yours.
Imago Dei.
Is transparent communication a problem on your team? Maybe the communication process is the communication problem, or maybe your employees don’t know how to be transparent. But that’s not the issue, because their actions are simply mirroring the way you manage communication.
Imago Dei.
Conway’s Law is the concept that all the products or services you deliver at your company are a representation of the strengths and weaknesses of the company’s leadership.
Your product is created in your image.
Imago Dei.
Leadership Is God
Before you point fingers and blame your team for what’s broken..
Before you fume in your frustration, wondering why they just can’t f-ing figure it out…
Before you get miffed at the missed deadline, or slam them for a sad-seeming strategy…
You have to take a breath and ask yourself: Where did they learn that behavior?
Because they learned it from someone.
As it turns out, they learned it from watching you.
Imago Dei.
When you lead others - whether it’s five people or five hundred - you’re not just guiding them. You’re creating them.
You’re shaping how they show up, how they communicate, and how they lead others in return.
And that brings us back to the uncomfortable truth about leadership that we started with a few minutes ago:
You are God.
But before you start feeling too high and mighty, I didn’t say you are THE God. I didn’t even say you are the only God. To the contrary, it’s important to understand that the people you oversee are also someone else’s God.
We’re all gods.
We’re all creators.
Our behavior always has a powerful influence on all the people who look up to us or follow our lead, whether it’s in the office, in the family or out with friends.
Leadership is God.
The only question then becomes this:
What kind of world are you creating?
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Can't agree more, because my company is just me, and still I have all 4 problems you describe, but clearly there's no one else to blame. 😂😂😂
Interesting post. I agree that leaders need to look internally first. The symptoms are rarely the problem. I bet getting them to see that cam be a bit tricky sometimes :)