Turn Up the Heat

It’s the summer season and already much of our nation has been dealing with a stifling heat wave. Yesterday at my family’s picnic in Snyder County Pennsylvania the temperature topped 100 degrees. A fast-moving thunderstorm that passed near the area lit up the sky with vivid flashes of lightning but did little to cool things down. We can expect more of this sweltering weather before the fall season offers a welcome respite from the heat. With that context in mind, I can’t help but draw some analogies between our current hot weather and the heat leaders also need to master to be effective in their various roles.

Leaders are frequently faced with difficult work and challenging projects. How do you make progress under these circumstances? It could be as simple as turning up the heat on ourselves and those around us. When time pressures are severe, progress seems slow, or you are the only one showing up, you might want to turn up the heat. Leaders have an obligation to create a sense of urgency at critical times and that is really what turning up the heat is all about.

If you are worried about the consequences of such action consider some if these benefits. When you turn up the heat you create new energy and commitment to the project. You also encourage others to tell you what they are really thinking about the work and that could dispel some of the imagined problems that can slow progress. Turning up the heat will most certainly be easier than you think and will likely result in better outcomes than you might envision.

To turn up the heat a leader should be aware of, and name, any elephants in the room. An elephant is that real or imagined obstacle or fear that everyone seems to sense but no one wishes to openly acknowledge. You can turn up the heat by simply offering a clear direction for the team after you have allowed everyone to share their ideas. Action tends to light a spark under everyone. Don’t be afraid to ask open-ended questions, trust the value of silence, and allow time for everyone to consider possible options. Turning up the heat should also include a reminder of the consequences for inaction.

I’m not advocating turning up the heat in a punitive way or to use this approach when there are strong opposing views about an issue or problem. Under those circumstances, the extra heat could create a destructive energy that destroys any team. What I am suggesting is that leaders sometimes do need to intervene when a project is stalled. A well-timed application of extra heat may be just what is needed to get things moving in the right direction. No thermostat required.