Caring more

Sometimes it is noticeable who really cares about the work they do and those around them.

Matt Blodgett wrote a piece “Daring to Care ”. He tells the story about the most effective technical leader he encountered and the fact they weren’t the smartest, the best politician or a charmer. Their superpower was that they cared more than the others.

Looking back over my career I can see that not just in leaders but in the engineers as well. The ones who really shone weren’t always the best coders but the ones who cared about what they were producing - going the extra mile to make sure what they did was the best it could be. They were the ones who fixed the small things that everyone else ignored but made a difference.

Sometimes caring comes naturally, it is in someone’s nature. Other times it can come from being motivated by the results that can come from what they are producing.

It can’t be forced on someone, it has to come from them.

A leader can build the environment and the story to help them go on that journey. They can remove some of the barriers so they have the opportunity to care. Or they can share the “why” of what they are producing and how it is important. However it all comes down to the individual.

How do you find someone who cares? Although it is difficult to identify, there may also be signs during the recruitment process. Look for the reasons they did things, the little things they did and the passion when they recount their experience. Do their eyes light up and their energy increase when they tell you how they fixed something?

Matt sums it up nicely:

The individuals who rise to the top aren’t always the smartest, the most creative, the most charming. They just give a damn. They care more than the people around them. When someone truly cares, they will find no shortage of problems to solve around them. They will find solutions. They will push through objections. They will argue with people. They will take on responsibility for things they don’t strictly need to, things no one asked them to take responsibility for.

Caring can also have it’s downsides. It involves taking responsibility, reaching out to others but the benefits are so much more.

It’s not just about those who work for you. As a leader, do you really care about what you do?

Do you care about those around you? Do you care about what you need to deliver? What have you dealt with that others have ignored? When have you stepped out for what you believe in?

Caring can make a huge difference.

Links

Daring to Care