Celebrated Changemaker
Unlocking Leadership Potential: Martin Green's Proven Strategies
Leadership is challenging, and we believe in celebrating those who excel. Each month, we invite you to join us in celebrating exceptional leaders who have achieved remarkable feats while collaborating with us at It's the Impact. Leadership can be isolating, and recognition is well-deserved. Please reach out to schedule a Discovery Session anytime.
This month, we will focus on Martin Green, General Manager at LiberatED Way in Chicago, Illinois.
Ever feel like building your team's capacity is one of the toughest parts of leadership? Imagine if everyone on your team could instantly handle everything you need — leadership would be a breeze, right? But here's the reality: lasting success only comes from investing in your people.
At LiberatED Way, Martin Green shows us the power of this investment. His work proves that when you pour your time, knowledge, and resources into your team, they grow into the leaders you need. Martin's approach not only strengthens his leadership but also drives true organizational change by gaining buy-in at every level.
In this article, you'll discover how Martin's daily commitment to capacity building creates a culture of leadership and alignment. He shares his two essential strategies for developing your team's potential without overwhelming them.
Are you struggling to build your team's capacity? Does securing buy-in feel like an uphill battle? Martin's insights could be the game-changer you need. Don't miss out on learning how to transform your leadership approach for lasting impact.
Step 1: Responding to Adversity
LiberatED Way is a self-sustaining consultancy within the Academy for Urban Leadership (AUSL), a Chicago-based education non-profit. AUSL focuses on improving schools through high-quality training for teachers and educators, and community-focused visioning and strategizing, the latter of which Martin helps to lead at LiberatED Way. According to Martin, LiberatED Way works with school and district leaders to transform schools by bringing together students, parents, and community members.
What makes Martin’s work unique is that he sparks positive change while also incorporating the voices of those impacted by that change. He creates opportunities for shared experiences that ultimately build common ground between families and educators to create more productive student environments.
“We show educators how to listen to community members, and we show students and parents the incredible work the educators are doing and the reasoning behind it so that everyone is aligned on what great learning looks like. By explaining to parents the type of learning that students are engaging with in schools, parents become partners with educators. School and district leaders recognize that parents can be assets. We help to create a team dynamic between educators and parents,” he said.
But the fact that LiberatED Way’s work is so impactful can also result in leadership challenges for Martin. Martin’s work is highly mission-driven, meaning he, unlike leaders in some industries, also has to balance his staff's passion for their cause with the practicalities of managing an organization. Sometimes, this commitment to their work can lead to his staff feeling despondent when they face challenges or when community-school partnerships fail to work out as expected. Martin uses these moments as opportunities for growth for himself and his team. He leads honestly, acknowledging the problems openly but then providing solutions on how they can respond individually and collectively to overcome them. This strategy allows his team to evolve from these learnings and respond to adversity with a positive mindset that prevents them from achieving their ultimate goals. By fostering a more resilient team, Martin is building the capacity of his team to be responsive to any challenge.
Step 2: Recognize That Everyone Is Different
Leadership would be easier if everyone we managed were the same. You’d know what to expect and how to respond in every situation. But leadership isn’t as predictable as following a manual to assemble IKEA furniture at your house (okay, maybe that was the wrong example — that’s the least predictable activity on earth — but you get my point).
Fortunately, one of Martin’s many superpowers is his commitment to recognizing and celebrating the unique skills and differing perspectives of the people he manages. That means he is consistently flexible — treating everyone fairly while also personalizing his management to their particular needs. He turns the individual strengths of his team members into assets that complement those of their coworkers. By identifying what each person can add to the team, he can nourish their abilities to develop as leaders. This allows them to take on greater challenges and responsibilities and flourish — both now and in the future.
“I’m by no means God's gift to leadership. But as I’ve grown as a leader, I’ve learned it’s a humbling journey. Everyone you work with is different. No one human being is the same. No two human beings need the same things in terms of their development and what will make them thrive at work and as a teammate. So, as I’ve grown and shifted as a leader, one challenge has been to adapt to working with different people with different perspectives. I strive to be a consistent leader so my team knows where I stand while also having the flexibility to meet people where they are,” he said.
To achieve this, Martin employs two key strategies that are worth every leader paying attention to:
Stretch your team — but not too far: He believes in constantly challenging his team with new responsibilities to see how they respond and to help them grow without ever overwhelming them.
Learn what drives your people: Martin takes the time to get to know his team members and their individual motivations.
“I want to give my team work that feels aligned with why they came to work with us. Everyone wants a good salary and a pathway to greater opportunity. But we’re in mission-driven work. Most, if not all of the people I work with came to LiberatED Way because our mission resonated with them. So I have to find ways to ensure they see how their daily work contributes to that larger mission,” he said.
By constantly connecting the day-to-day tasks of his staff’s work to a larger collective vision of change, Martin enables them to find meaning in everything they do. That fosters their buy-in to their work and to him and the LiberatED Way. It also makes them excited to step forward to tackle seemingly daunting obstacles. Because he believes in them, they believe in themselves, too. That is the rich soil from which effective capacity building can bloom.
Step 3: Leading So You’re Not Needed
Ultimately, every leader committed to capacity building their team must also know when to step back. Martin embraces humility and the belief that powerful leadership comes not from telling others what to do but rather in providing them with the tools to do it themselves. Martin has a goal that guides his leadership: he wants to lead so effectively that he’s no longer needed.
“The best compliment I could ever receive from my staff or the educators and families we work with is that I’m not needed on this team anymore,” he said.
This isn’t always easy. Martin works in a client-service business, and as he stated, “clients don’t always conform to our best expectations.” He began work with It’s The Impact when he felt “stuck” as a leader. At the time, he saw every aspect of his work as a barrier. He had to do the hard work of changing his mindset and reframing to see the opportunity within those challenges.
“I’m constantly working to flip the pancake on my mindset. Some stuff I can control, and some stuff I can’t. Growing as a leader has meant learning to be comfortable with that. There will be things out of my control, but there’s a way to turn many challenges into opportunities,” he said.
To accomplish this, he purposely leads by:
Stepping Back When Needed: Martin believes in removing himself from spaces where his staff can handle tasks on their own.
Creating Learning Opportunities: He positions his team to learn from trial and error, promoting growth through experience.
Turning Challenges Into Opportunities: Martin emphasizes that his team should find opportunities within their challenges.
These three key tenets are the foundation for the exceptional capacity building Martin has experienced with his team. When leaders try to do everything themselves, not only do they hamper their own ability to do anything effectively, but they also impede their teams from personal leadership growth. By stepping back, offering opportunities to learn, and providing his team with the support to operate with growth mindsets, Martin bolsters leadership qualities throughout LiberatED Way. His leadership proves that transformational change is possible by trusting, involving, and supporting others. That’s capacity building at its best. He’s an inspiration, and we are fortunate to support him at It’s the Impact.
Find out how you can be a stronger leader by scheduling a Free Discovery Call.