Late in the game against their arch rival high school, the coach pulled all seniors but the quarterback, replacing them with sophomores. The quarterback calmed his nervous huddle. “If each of you execute your assignment on this play, we will score.”
Thus focused, they did just that. The quarterback threw long to the wide receiver who sprinted into the end zone. The easy score belied the hard work beneath, months of practicing the assigned tasks on each play, and the leadership that coalesced their efforts.
Good managers teach colleagues how to execute their assignments and lead them to collaborative success.