If youâve got high-performing employees, leading with context is best. To encourage original thinking, donât tell your employees what to do and make them check boxes. Give them the context to dream big, the inspiration to think differently, and the space to make mistakes along the way. In other words, lead with context.
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Ten years before, in 2007, Leslie Kilgore had coined a phrase, which is now used across Netflix to describe exactly what Ted was doing as he walked out through the lobby of the hotel: âLead with context, not control.â At just about any other company, with this much money on the table, the senior guy would get involved and control the negotiations. But thatâs not what leadership looks like at Netflix. As Adam explained: âTed wasnât about to make that decision for me, but he set broad context to help align my thinking with the companyâs strategy. That context he set laid the foundation for my decision.
Leading with context, on the other hand, is more difficult, but gives considerably more freedom to employees. You provide all of the information you can so that your team members make great decisions and accomplish their work without oversight or process controlling their actions. The benefit is that the person builds the decision-making muscle to make better independent decisions in the future.
Therefore, the first question you need to answer when choosing whether to lead with context or control is, âWhat is the level of talent density of my staff?â If your employees are struggling, youâll need to monitor and check their work to ensure they are making the right decisions. If youâve got a group of high performers, theyâll most likely crave freedom and thrive if you lead with context. But deciding whether to lead with context or control isnât just about talent density. You also have to consider your industry, and what you are trying to achieve.
Instead I reminded myself of what I often tell leaders throughout Netflix:
When one of your people does something dumb donât blame them. Instead ask yourself what context you failed to set. Are you articulate and inspiring enough in expressing your goals and strategy? Have you clearly explained all the assumptions and risks that will help your team to make good decisions? Are you and your employees highly aligned on vision and objectives?
You know youâre successfully leading with context when your people are moving the team in the desired direction by using the information theyâve received from you and those around you to make great decisions themselves.