Give the Outcome, Not Just the Task Think about The Martian. NASA has plenty of individual tasks to complete once they discover Mark Watney is alive on Mars. But the real objective isn't to complete a list of tasks. The objective is to bring him home alive. That difference matters. When one solution doesn't work, they can't simply say, “Well, we completed our part.” They have to keep adjusting because they understand what they are actually trying to accomplish. We do the same thing as leaders. We tell someone: “Call this customer.” “Get this report finished.” “Take care of this problem.” “Follow up with them.” Those are tasks. But have we made the outcome just as clear? Today's Skill The next time you delegate something, don't finish by asking: “Do you understand?” Try this instead: “When this is finished, what does success look like to you?” T hen don't answer it for them. Listen. If their answer matches what you had in mind, great. If it doesn't, you just discovered the misunderstanding before the work was done. And there's another benefit. When someone understands the outcome, they have a better chance of making the right decision when something unexpected happens. They aren't limited to following your instructions. They understand where you're trying to go. Try It Today. Use that question once today when you delegate something: “When this is finished, what does success look like to you?” Then come back and tell me what happened. Did they describe the same outcome you had in your head?

We shared what it means to be accountable as a leader and the lessons that can help us all. @Bethany Stone @Timothy Clay @Renee Jackson-Smith @Michael J. Rosa @Javier Velasquez @Ami Maikoski @Stephen Miller @Heather Baty @Beth Denninger @Anita Smith @Leonne Sherr @Nicole Lemaster @Louie Alessio @Christopher Wesley @Carlee Wolfe @Robin Carr @Donna Tashjian @Keri Darling @Fred Moss @Jeremiah Fulmer @Karen Gergely @Sherri Sladek @Susan Throop @Sophia Wilson

Before you continue, I want you to think about where you are as a leader today. What is the one area of your leadership you most want to strengthen right now, and why? Be specific. Your answer does not need to be long. There is no right answer here. What matters is that you are honest about where you are today. This gives you a starting point you can come back to later and see what has changed Put your answer in the comments below.