Happy New Year!

Let’s start the year with this quote picked up from professional football player, Demarcus Lawrence: “Talent without a direction is nothing at all.”

Mr. Lawrence’s team, Dallas Cowboys, was virtually eliminated from making the playoffs. He was quoted as saying this after being asked why the team didn’t perform to expectations.

Now, this week’s leadership tip is not about football, Mr. Lawrence, or his team; it is about your team and how this message applies to you, its leader.

Leadership Tip

As the leader, choose your team’s direction, then provide each member with the consistent communication and necessary resources to lead them there.

Despite the talent level, a team with no direction (or with inconsistent direction) will perform below its true capabilities. Even the most talented players can become disengaged, lose focus, and/or make costly mistakes. You’ve heard about the high percentage of people who quit their boss, not their company. So if you’re the boss, get clear on your desired direction and become clear at consistently communicating it.

Pointing a team in the wrong direction may be just as bad as having no direction at all. When necessary, it’s perfectly okay to change direction. Many companies didn’t and are no longer around.

Even the most talented individuals on the team perform poorly because they haven’t been properly trained on how to handle certain situations. They have no direction, nor have they been empowered to make decisions. This results in negative consequences for those on your team and/or your customers.

If “talent needs direction,” then be prepared to give your team proper guidance so you won’t miss opportunities or underperform. Losing is no fun.