How to work less, have more, and get that rock up the mountain

Blog | December 1, 2020
Remember the Greek myth about Sisyphus? He was cursed by the gods to push a huge boulder up a mountain, only to have it roll back down again just before he reached the top. Over and over. Forever.

I’m guessing you know the feeling.

But here’s the part the Greeks left out. If Sisyphus had just let go of that boulder and taken a moment to look around him, he might have put an end to his everlasting torment.

As a leader, you already have access to a limitless amount of untapped potential. It’s right in front of you—but if you’re too focused on doing, on pushing that boulder up the hill, you’ll never see it.

What tools can you leverage to get the job done? I’ll bet there’s a boulder-lifting machine (in the form of your process, your systems, and—most importantly—your team) right next to you, ready and willing to get that rock to the top of the hill for good.

All they need to get the job done is a leader who’s willing to stop pushing long enough to coach them.

When you approach your role as a coach to your leaders, you have access to limitless resources.

One of your core responsibilities is to elicit the very best from your team.

When they come to you for guidance, when you can help them become aware of what’s really going on, it empowers them to come up with long-lasting solutions and dissolves non-issues.

The equivalent of pushing the boulder up the hill? Solving problems for your team, rather than using them as opportunities for coaching and development.

The magic rock-lifting machine that gets you better results in less time? Your shift as a leader to a coaching mindset.

This involves questions like:

“What’s really going on here?”

“What have you tried already?”

“What is getting in the way?”

“How do you think we should solve this problem?”

Through coaching, you give your peeps the space to understand the situation, or what’s really going on.

By asking open-ended questions (What, Where, When, Who, How) like the ones I share above, you encourage your team to find their own answers. Or—taking it back to the metaphor—you get them to engage so that you all get the rock up the hill together. (Don’t be like Sisyphus.)

People can then get to, Oh… I actually need help with this [other, underlying issue]. It’s really about this piece.

Rather than positioning yourself as the one with the answers, as a coach, you hand that responsibility back to your team—as well as equip them with the tools they need to find those answers for themselves, and coach their own teams.

A coaching mindset is a superpower that allows your team to tap their own superpowers.

You now have limitless resources and true sustainability as a leader.

So next time you find yourself feeling like Sisyphus, do what he never did. Let go of the boulder, and take stock of what’s around you.  The more you leverage your interpersonal skills and act as their coach, the more of your own time you win back, and the better you can be in your role at the helm.

This is a key part of the framework we share with our clients at MettaWorks. In addition to receiving coaching themselves, they learn how to be a coach to their people.

If you’re ready to step into sustainable leadership, if you are ready for your team to become a limitless resource, let’s talk. Click here to schedule a complimentary call with one of our coaches.
Rachel Rider
Executive Coach, Leadership Consultant

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