The Lead Nut in the Nuthouse: 4 ways to lead passionate and talented groups

 'You have to be the lead nut in the nuthouse.'

I was having a discussion with a coach that had a very unique challenge. The team they were leading was full of talented and committed players. Intensifying the challenge were the parents of the players that knew how talented the team was and were just as committed (maybe overcommitted) to the success of the group. The community of parents and players wanted to win badly, and they knew they had the talent to win. They were all in. They were obsessed. In many ways, they were nuts. I told the coach, 'you have to be the lead nut in the nuthouse.' 

You may wonder what the problem is? Coaches (and leaders of any group) would beg to have teams full of talent and commitment. If you have never led a skilled group that knew they were skilled and were hungry for results, let me describe it this way. It's like being chased through a TNT factory carrying a burning torch. The combination of mental and physical skills with extreme emotional investment is explosive. These are also the groups that are most likely to accomplish the unthinkable so they are worth leading, but it is a combustible situation. 

Leading super talented, intense groups is a very unique skill set. Phil Jackson, the 13-time NBA champion player and coach, has this skill set. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls could not win at the highest levels despite being two of the greatest players in NBA history. Phil Jackson took over as their coach and they won 6 of the next 8 NBA championships. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, also epically talented, could not get along and win together. Phil Jackson takes over as their coach and they promptly win three straight NBA championships. Jackson once said, 'I do not love basketball so much as I love fully investing myself in an experience.' Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant were insanely invested. Phil Jackson was just more invested. 

Here are a few ways that I have found works when leading extremely talented and invested groups. 

Passion and commitment to the people that inspires - This is where being 'the lead nut in the nuthouse' takes root. The team is full of people that are insanely committed to the objective. The leader has to be even more committed than that to the people. Here are three quick ways to evaluate whether or not you are nuttier than the nuts on your team. 1 - Are you more prepared for each meeting, practice, event, and game than they are? 2 - Do you lead them to respond positive to negative situations in a way that brings the group together when they want to tear each other apart? 3 - Are you consistently communicating the big picture things to them that speak more to the 'why's' and less to the 'how's' and 'what's'? 

Progressively growing knowledge of the objective and how to get there - I love the modern idea that in order to lead, a leader has to be the lead learner. A leader of super talented groups has to be obsessive and intentional about learning. Talented groups devour information, training sessions, reports and experiences adapting their performance so that they can overcome the newest obstacle. This means that they are fast-learning groups. If their learning outpaces the learning of the leader, it will show quickly and the inmates will begin to run the asylum. 

Persistent pursuit of the objective and the people when times are tough - Even the most talented groups will struggle and fail at times. They will NOT react well to these circumstances because talented groups do not face failure often. They have very little frame of reference for how to navigate it because they are unfamiliar with it. In this way, talented groups can be surprisingly weak mentally in the face of failure. This is where the leader has to demonstrate insane persistence and energy for the task at hand. The leader wants to be the type of leader that people want around when it is all going wrong. 

Purpose-focused communication - Talented groups can become too focused on the by-product of their efforts. The scoreboard, quarterly reports, or stock prices can become too important and they can lose focus on process and purpose. A leader that uses purpose-focused communication can keep talented groups focused on what they can control and why it is important. The purpose is something that is not dictated by the results or lack of results. The purpose has transcendent value that benefits all that are involved. The purpose is what produces results. If talented teams remain focused on their purpose, the results will be more than even they could have hoped for. The lead nut in the nuthouse keeps their group focused on the purpose. 

If you are a leader of a super talented group, you are leading a bunch of crazy people. It can be a blessing and a curse. Bless your talented group by being the lead nut in the nuthouse. 

Keep on, keepin' on, friends! 

‘Bite Down and Don’t Let Go’ is a collection of writings on being intentional about life in a way that produces great persistence. Read about it more here.

Dr. Chris Hobbs is an educational leader with more than two decades of experience. He’s earned a few degrees and won some awards. He’s happily married to his high school sweetheart and they have three teen age children. Life is messy and complicated most of the time. You can follow him on Twitter for all sorts of inspirational thoughts and good laughs.