PI TALKIES: The Escalator Moment

As I walked towards the escalator at the Delhi airport the other day, I saw something I’ve seen before. The man before me was at the edge of the escalator, staring nervously at it. Clearly, he had never stepped on an escalator before! Some folks accompanying him were trying to cajole him to take that first step. One of them got onto the escalator confidently, to show him how easy it was. Another voice screamed, “Just do it.” But the man stood there transfixed, watching the steps running away from him magically.

Sounds familiar? I am guessing you have witnessed this too. As I took my seat in the aircraft, the image of the man struggling to get onto the escalator flashed in my mind. It struck me that maybe this sight — the ‘escalator moment’ — in many ways, exemplifies the challenges leaders face every day.

Leaders recognise that there is a better way to do things — and the escalator represents that. Left to themselves, people may prefer using the staircase and doing things the old, familiar way. But it is the leader’s duty to point towards a better way, and help the team traverse that path. In most cases, the leader himself may have ‘been there, done that’.

But the leader knows it’s not about him. The real challenge is to make sure his team gets there too. And the man standing nervously at the edge of the escalator represents how your team might feel about walking on the path you’ve set for them. They are not sure they know how to do it. They are scared they will fail. And often, they are too scared to ask for help.

Maybe you should freeze the image of ‘The Escalator Moment’ in your mind to remind you of the simple things you need to do to make sure you are an effective leader. How can you make sure you get it right?

First, recognise that while you may know what it takes to get to the goal, your team may not. They are usually in a different place on the learning curve. You’ve been on that escalator before, but your team may not have.

Second, make it easy for your team to say “I don’t know”. They are scared to ask for help. They fear being seen as not good enough. So, talk about your own vulnerability, your own apprehensions, the first time you stepped on an escalator. And how you overcame those fears. And next time there’s something you don’t know, be willing to ask for help. Good leaders get comfortable saying, “I don’t know”. That’s at the heart of a learning organisation.

Third, when a person is looking for help, how do you respond? Do you show your surprise at his incompetence? Or, do you lend a helping hand? In fact, how did you respond the last time someone asked for help? Did you jump on the escalator and say, ‘It’s so easy?’ Or did you acknowledge the fear, and gently show how it’s done? If he’s looking for help, just do that. Help.

And finally, don’t rest content that ‘it doesn’t matter how they do it — as long as the job gets done’. Escalators beat staircases. Any day. And as a leader, you need to make sure you help your team get onto the escalator.

Years later, when your colleagues look back on their lives, they may not remember how the stock price moved under your leadership. Or how many points of market share they gained under your watch. But chances are they will fondly recall a leader who helped them learn to ride the escalator. Be that kind of leader.