Hey Boss, Are You a Judger or a Learner?

When I started my first business and supervised employees, I would often think, “Why can’t they just get it right?”

I’d “delegate” a project, and when my employees stumbled or got stuck, I’d blame them.

But I was the one who was stuck. I suffered from what Atiba de Souza calls the Judger Mindset — blaming my team for stalled projects while secretly believing only I could do things right.

Sound familiar?

Over the years, my approach evolved — from judging and blaming to asking and aiding.

Instead of “Why did you do it this way?” I asked “What challenges did you face?” and “How did you decide on this approach?”

This is the Learner Mindset. And it’s the key to escape the “delegation trap.”

When you manage with a Learner Mindset, your employees evolve from task-doers, to thinkers and innovators.

You get over the idea that everything depends on you.

This means greater productivity for your business, and more freedom for you.

Today, at the Mastermind Book Club’s monthly meeting, we’ll discuss “The Delegation Trap” with the author Atiba de Souza.

We’ll cover:

• The exact language shifts that transform your team’s thinking
• Why your team isn’t incapable — they’re waiting for better questions
• How to delegate your first “only I can do this” task

Every month, Ted Prodromou and I choose a great business book for Club members to read. We meet on the fourth Thursday — often with the author as our special guest — to discuss how we can apply the book and its lessons to our businesses.

If you don’t have time to read the book, don’t worry. Members always learn a lot and benefit from the conversations we have — even when they haven’t read the book.

This month’s meeting: TODAY, January 22, 2:30 p.m. ET, live on Zoom.

Here’s the Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85403790079?pwd=Yi5t48Lb7jYW9Aoiqufd4caj9JOCS6.1&jst=2