There are three secrets to managing. The first secret is have patience. The second secret is be patient. And the third most important secret is patience. – Chuck Tanner
Some of you are parents, some of you have friends that are parents and some of you grew up with your parents. You can always distinguish great parents from the rest of them wether directly or by the stories their children tell you. Of all the great traits great parents have by far the most crucial and oftentimes understated trait is patience.
Being a leader is much like being a parent. You guide your followers and you must take care – to one degree or another – of their professional wellbeing. And having patience is by far the most crucial trait a great leader has.
Rome was not built in a day. You’ve probably heard that before. Some things take time. If you think of crops, there is a set amount of time necessary for them to grow. Much like crops, there is also a necessary timeframe required for people to grow. And here comes the wrench in the equation.
Not all people take the same amount of time. Some are more intuitive and so called “quick thinkers” others are a little slow. Regardless, you can’t play favorites and must be able to accommodate each and every one of your people and show the necessary amount of patience necessary for them to go through the motions and succeed.
One key distinction is that it isn’t necessary just for you to have patience. You must be able to show that you have and are capable of patience. This is important simple because your people also need to have patience. And much like confidence they can borrow from your patience until they garner enough experience to be able to judge themselves accordingly in the tasks that they do.
So be patient with your followers, and also help instill in them the necessary patience for them to also succeed. You’ll be fine.