4 reasons why you need to form your own pit crew

As a leader, you have probably taken some hard hits. I was challenged, pushed and even verbally attacked in my supervision of others. I learned to lean on a lot of people to get me through those times. 

Who supports you on rough days?
What about you? When you've experienced those days, I’m curious, who helps you get through that? Sadly, I doubt that it is your boss.

The truth is you need your more than one person. In fact, you need a crew of people, to help you. 

Here are 4 reasons why you need to get your own pit crew

Take a look at your crew around you
Last month I coached Melanie, who was preparing to leave her job. She was wondering what she was looking for in her new job.  What would be important to establish? As I coached her, she realized that there was a variety of people currently supporting her that she would be loosing. She realized she would need to re-establish some of those roles in her new job.

The members of a crew
Melanie made a list of who was currently on her team. She had:

• A colleague to vent to when her staff drove her nuts. 
• Her caring spouse who always encouraged her and picked her back up when she’d had a tough day.
• A generous pal who graciously would edit her occasional tenuous emails, before she hit the send button.  
• A respected mentor her who inspired her own growth
• A loving female who nurtured her spirit and soul.
• A knowledgeable HR director her assisted with understanding and implementing policy
• A comical friend her made her laugh and laugh, taking away the heaviness of life and replacing it with joy.

Only two of these people were outside her current organization. Melanie realized that she’d need to find new people to replace the vacating position on her pit crew.

Does your pit crew need a few more members?
When you look around, can you identify specific people that are on your team? I’m not talking about the people that you supervise. I’m talking about the people that are there, cheering you on. These are the people that will catch you when you fall. They are the ones that push, pull and drag you to being the great leader you really are.

I wonder if your pit crew is more like a skeleton crew. Perhaps it’s time to beef it up.

Don't think for a moment that you can just do it alone
No one can do it all by them self. We all need supporters. We all need people to help us and assist us in getting through difficult times. We need cheerleaders encouraging us on and giving us extra motivation. We need individuals who will slow us down to celebrate our big and little wins before we move on without even acknowledging that something good just happened.

Add a few new members to your pit crew
Developing your pit crew that is there for you through thick and thin will be critical to your success as a leader. Make sure you pick your crew carefully, that you have enough crew members and ensure that they are the best ones to cheer you on, refuel you, clean you up and fix you up.

Question:
In reading this which pit crew member are you missing and where will you look to find them?
 

1.    You need refueling – Leadership is a grueling and demanding job. It can suck you dry if you let it. You will need someone to fill you back up, lift you up and energize you. Your pit crew is there to infuse you with energy and enthusiasm.

2.    You will need new tires regularly – You already know that there’re many times when you spin your wheels in leadership. You work really really hard and feel like you’re getting nowhere. Sometimes you need some new grip, a new tread to help you dig deep try again. Your pit crew is there for you with some new rubber!

3.    You will need your windshield cleaned off – A fresh, clear perspective is vital in leadership.  When the mud and muck get thrown at you, and you work your way through difficult times having someone there to clear off the view will be important. Your pit crew will clean your view so that you can clearly see why you are doing what you do and the vision that pulls you forward.

4.    You will need someone else sometimes the spot the damages that you don’t see – Some leaders have a tendency to push and push and push until their own breaking point.  Burnout happens before leaders realize it.  Having someone on your crew that points out and picks up on the potential problems is important. Your pit crew is there to keep their eyes open and to alert you of things you may not have noticed.