What Is a Weed, Anyway? How Great Leaders See the Difficult Employee

I’m asked one question more than any other: “Jeff, what do I do about the employee who’s driving me crazy?”

I answer with a question of my own. What is a weed?

A weed isn’t a bad plant. It’s a plant growing where you didn’t plan for it. The dandelion in your lawn is a wildflower in a meadow.

People work the same way. Gallup has found that people who use their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged on the job. Same person, different spot, different results.

Some people really are a poor fit, and sometimes it’s time to pull the weed. But before you get there, the best leaders ask three questions:

1. Are they planted in the right place? Talented people in the wrong seat often look like attitude problems.
2. Have they been given what they need to grow? Clear expectations, training, feedback, and trust are the soil, sun, and water of leadership.
3. Have I had the real conversation? Not the hint or the sigh, but a direct, kind and specific one. Avoiding it teaches your best people you’ll tolerate the problem.

Before you call someone a weed, make sure you’ve given them the soil, the sun, and the water to reach their full potential.

Great leaders aren’t harder or softer than everyone else. They’re more intentional.

That’s the Leadership Edge in action. Credibility isn’t proven when things are easy. It’s proven with that one person everyone is watching you handle.

Join the Free Webinar

Join my free webinar, “That One Person: How Top Leaders Lead Through It Without Losing the Team,” on Thursday, November 5, 11:30 a.m. to noon Central. Let’s grow something together. Register HERE.

Keep growing your leadership,

Jeff