Traffic Cops and Leaders

Have you ever observed a really great traffic cop?  You know, that brave individual who positions himself or herself smack dab in the middle of an onslaught of vehicles to create order out of chaos. 

Think about it, great leaders have many similarities to these brave individuals:

Traffic cops give direction.   This is also what great leaders do, and like traffic cops, they give it definitively.  Traffic cops are not subtle about the direction they want you to go, they are pointing the way with unswerving certainty.   Same is true of great leaders;  not only do they provide direction, but it is provided without subtlety.

Traffic cops will stop you to keep you safe.    The same is true of a capable manager.   Just like a traffic cop will stop a driver from advancing to avoid an accident, a strong leader will stop a team member when they sense that the timing is not right for action.  When a leader sees something that a team member cannot see, they are wise to use the "STOP" signal.

Traffic cops will give you more than direction.  A great traffic cop will not only point the direction they want you to go, but they will also indicate an appropriate speed and they may also point out dangers along the way.     Great communicators in the workplace do they same thing; they provide more than direction, they tell team members how they want them to proceed.

Traffic cops step in the middle of chaos to create order.  Great leaders do this every single day - they step into the middle of not-so-desirable situations to create solutions that allow individuals, the team and the company to achieve their goals.

Traffic cops constantly assess the situation from all points of view.   Drivers can only receive safe direction when the director is looking in all directions.    Team members can only proceed when they know that their leader is looking in all directions for challenges and distractions.

BONUS POINTS:  The traffic cops you really love are the ones that are also entertaining.  Think about it, the really memorable traffic cops are the ones who make eye contact with you, give you a nod or a smile or even do a little dance.   While certainly the job of the leader is not primarily to be entertaining, a nod, a smile, an appropriate joke or some great conversation certainly goes a long way toward making the office a better place.

Brent Frerichs is the author of "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders," available for readers, IPads, tables and PCS on Kindle.  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0095KPA6A