Do you know how to kill a snake?

I do not mean a real snake! I learned how to “Kill a snake” with one the leaders I admire the most in my career. The analogy is simple: If a snake’s head pops up (i.e., a problem appears), kill it immediately, before the whole snake has come out of the hole and becomes much harder to kill!

So how do you do that efficiently as a leader?

First of all, stay curious at all times about what happens in the team and organization. Anything can become a problem at some point potentially.

When you see the snake’s head, take action quickly, step up and take accountability for solving the issue, even if it is not in your area. It’s not a time for fingerpointing or “this is not my job” type of answers. It’s time for action!

Recognize that you will not have all the answers to attack the problem alone. Ask for help, engage the right people to solve the problem.

Take a high level view of the problem: Don’t look at it from your own area of expertise, but rather from much higher grounds: What does it mean for the organization, the clients, etc. and act from that place.

Once the snake is killed, make sure there is a learning for the team or the organization: How did that happen, how do we avoid this in the future? Train people.

What else have you done as a leader to kill a snake? What has worked and what has not worked? Tell me in the comments.

For comments or questions, please visit my website or contact me at pascal@p-m-coaching.com