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Glenn Brooke | July 2, 2014 | 4 Comments

SSDT: A Leadership Disease – Glenn Brooke

 

“Someone should do that.”

Leaders hear this frequently, and sometimes we say it to ourselves.  Perhaps I should have named my two children “Someone” and “Somebody” because they would always have employment opportunities!

If we don’t act, however, “Someone should do that” becomes SSDT, the dreaded leadership disease that rots organizations from within.

 

If someone says SSDT to you, dear leader, you have a handful of choices:

  1. Disagree, and explain why.
  2. Ignore it, and do nothing.  (You should definitely write off the whiners and unconstructive complainers.)
  3. Agree, and decide a next step:
  • Ask for help. (Maybe from the person who said SSDT?)
  • Delegate the follow-through.
  • Take the first leadership steps yourself. (Often it’s a better definition of the opportunity.)

 

When you hear yourself saying SSDT, you can

  1. Decide who the someone is.
  2. Support the person if it is not you – both active help and getting out of their way.
  3. Plan out action steps and go yourself.
  4. Seek wisdom and help from others.

 

The worst thing is to leave an SSDT unconsidered.  It’s ok to defer an SSDT into the future, but you will run into more troubles if you ignore every SSDT and assume they will take care of themselves without a conscious process to sort, validate, and execute.

 

What do you think of SSDT situations?  How do you handle them?

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Filed Under: Leadership

Glenn Brooke

Glenn considers leadership a craft which requires dedicated pursuit. The apprentice model (instruction + practice + associating with other craftsmen) is the time-tested way to foster the next generation of leaders. Real leaders never stop working on their craft; there are only new levels of mastery ahead. Learn more at leadershipcraft.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Adam Smith says

    July 2, 2014 at 7:36 am

    Great post, Glenn. People should take responsibility and do it themselves if they have time, but if not, delegation is there for a reason. In most cases, I try to ask for help and do it together, but it depends on the situation.

    Reply
  2. Jon Stolpe says

    July 2, 2014 at 8:25 am

    I’m in the process of reading QBQ (The Questions Behind The Question) by John Miller. He calls for everyone to practice personal accountability. I think leaders need to set the example when faced with these types of questions – they need to ask: “What can I do make a difference in this situation?”

    Reply
    • Glenn Brooke says

      July 2, 2014 at 9:39 am

      Excellent question! This morning I was working on future blog post: “52 Great Questions to Ask Your Direct Reports.”

      Reply
      • Jon Stolpe says

        July 2, 2014 at 9:43 am

        I look forward to reading this one!

        Reply

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Hi, my name is Adam Smith and welcome to asmithblog.com. I am the author of the book, The Bravest You. Because of my work as an entrepreneur, consultant, writer, and speaker, I have been named a top industry influencer by American Genius. I live with my wife, Jasmine, and three children in Shenandoah, IA.

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