We have one little 5-year-old coach at home. He gives me and my wife countless 30-minutes sessions on the topic of “Managing conflicts”.

What I see in my kid’s behavior is what I often see in teams at work.

And I think the metaphor I read about kid development is appropriate for teams as well: “Imagine it’s dark and you are driving on a bridge. If the bridge doesn’t have side railings, you’d drive slowly and with hesitance. But if you see both railings, you’d drive confidently and with ease.”

Kids are looking for clear boundaries.

So are teams.

Not boundaries to limit the movement, but to grant the needed autonomy.

What slows teams down is uncertainty – when to act on their own, how to act. What’s right and what’s wrong.

🖼 The role of the leader is to guide the team and set a frame that frees them.

–Hari from the Gang