Practice Makes Perfect
I have a massive stack of business books next to my bed. There are 3-5 at a time that I’m actively reading, and then a teetering stack just waiting to be picked up. No matter how quickly I read, that stack only seems to get larger. (If you don’t hear from me for a few days, make sure I’m not trapped under a pile of books in my own house.) From what I’ve heard from friends, I am not alone in this hoarding of ‘how to’ books.
In fact, most managers I know have bookshelves dedicated to books on, around, and related to how to be a better manager. It’s not only common, it’s almost expected. It’s a badge of honor for a manager to have the latest and best management books. And no doubt, they’ve read them all. Why, then, are so many of these same managers mediocre leaders despite having read all of the best books? I think part of the answer lies in the difference between being in motion and taking action.
In Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results, James Clear defines motion as planning, strategizing, and learning. Clearly, these are good things and they are needed to improve our performance. The problem is that, while leaders tend to plan and learn incredibly effectively, very few of these plans are put into action. All of that time reading, researching, and going to webinars and classes to learn how to be better managers gives people new information and perhaps a neat looking certificate. What leaders often forget to do is to practice these new skills day after day in the real world.
It reminds me of when my son first starting playing the viola. Initially, I thought the screeching notes was the theme music to Psycho. As it turns out, it was Jingle Bells. As the months went by, I was starting to recognize the music. Soon, it actually sounded pleasant. How did he get here? By actually picking up the instrument and Practicing. Every. Day. How far do you think he would get if he just read books about violas before showing up for the concert?
I sincerely hope leaders keep reading the books and taking the classes. Once they’ve done that, I hope they take a little of what they learned and practice it every day with their team. After all, what is the point of all of that learning if you aren’t going to put it into practice with those who will benefit from your leadership lessons? This is the practice of becoming a better leader.
Did it go poorly? Great! This is an opportunity to learn. Why did it go poorly? Is it worth another try? Did it really go poorly, or was it just a new practice out of your norm? While it may seem clunky or unnatural at first, it becomes easier and smoother with repetition and small adjustments. No one learns to play the viola without making a few mistakes along the way. The key is to keep learning and to keep practicing. The same is true for leadership.
