The People Are the Work

Deadlines matter. Goals matter. Budgets matter. Strategic plans matter. Performance matters. Results absolutely matter.

But somewhere in our effort to get all the work done, leaders can forget something pretty important. The people are the work.

Not instead of the results. They are how sustainable results happen.

We Can Get So Focused on the Task

There is always something else that needs to be done. Another email. Another meeting. Another deadline. Another goal. Another problem to solve.

And people can slowly become another item on our list. Have I checked in with her? Did he finish that assignment? Has everybody submitted their numbers?

But people are not tasks to manage. They are people to lead.

Relationships Aren't the Soft Stuff

I have spent much of my career watching what happens when people build genuine relationships. Trust grows. Communication gets easier. People are more willing to ask for help. Difficult conversations become possible. Collaboration improves. People give one another the benefit of the doubt.

And when something goes wrong, because eventually something will, there is a foundation strong enough to work through it.

That is not separate from getting results. That is what makes better results possible.

Know Your People

You do not have to be everyone's best friend to be a relational leader. But you should know the people you are asking to follow you.

What are they good at? What motivates them? How do they like to be recognized? What frustrates them? Where do they want to grow? What might be going on that you do not know about?

Different people need different things from their leader. Knowing that requires more than an annual evaluation. It requires relationship.

Make Time for What Matters

Leaders often say, "I don't have time." I understand. But sometimes we need to ask a different question. What will it cost me later if I do not make time now?

Five minutes of listening can prevent weeks of misunderstanding. One conversation can keep a good employee from mentally checking out. A little encouragement can change someone's entire day. Taking time to develop someone can create capacity you did not have before.

Results and Relationships Aren't Opposites

You do not have to choose between caring about people and expecting excellence. Great leaders do both. They hold people accountable because they care. They have difficult conversations because the relationship matters. They expect results while remembering there is a human being responsible for producing them.

So yes. Do the work. Meet the goal. Hit the deadline. Follow the plan.

But do not become so busy accomplishing the work that you overlook the people doing it.

Because when you are leading, the people are not getting in the way of the work.

The people are the work.