Tag: Engagement

5 Reasons Leaders Should Move Out of the Way

Sometimes leaders get in the way, and when they do, damaging things can happen.

  • They bottleneck decisions - people get frustrated
  • They block communication - people turn cynical
  • They put process before progress - people quit stretching
  • They issue orders - people start resisting
  • They punish mistakes - people avoid creativity
  • They approve everything - people relinquish responsibility

And so on.

When leaders get out-of-the-way, beautiful things can happen.

Think about some of the leaders you’ve admired. Were they in the way? Did people have to go through or around them to get things done? Did they try to control people or outcomes or did they connect with talented people, provide a mission worth achieving, intervene selectively, and move out-of-the-way?

5 Reasons to Move Out-of-the-Way

  1. When you move out-of-the-way, you inspire new leaders. By giving other people room to step up you provide the opportunity for new leaders to rise to the occasion. If you are in the way, potential leaders become frustrated and leave or withhold their potential.
  2. When you move out-of-the-way, you make space for innovation. The best leaders provide a clear vision that inspires and challenges and then allow people to be creative in how to reach the goal. When the leader has all the answers, people stop asking questions.
  3. When you move out-of-the-way, you improve your line of sight. When you step aside and let others take on the challenge, you allow yourself to move around and see the opportunity from different points of view. This enables you to selectively coach, intervene and realign without blocking progress.
  4. When you move out-of-the-way, you create a climate of trust. As you extend trust and act in alignment with your stated values the team not only develops trust in your leadership but also trust in themselves and each other. You are the beacon for trust. People look to you as the example for their actions.
  5. When you move out-of-the-way, you expand your influence. By enabling people to drive the vision forward you multiply the capacity for progress and your efforts have a greater impact. You haven’t stopped leading; you just stop trying to pull all the strings. You’re leading people, not puppets.

Here’s the challenge.

Ask your team if you are in the way, where you are in the way and when you are in the way.

Seek the truth, listen carefully, and take steps to remove the orange cones, flatten the speed bumps, take down the barricades and get out-of-the-way.

You might find yourself wishing you had done it sooner.

Leadership ROI

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In business, ROI answers the question, “How well has our investment in resources and capital performed over time?”

There are many ways to measure the value of an investment depending on the outcome we are seeking.

As leaders, we can apply this idea to influence.

Have you stopped to consider the return on your influence?

Consider the hours you spend in tasks, conversations, meetings, etc. in an effort to provide the influence that will generate the desired outcomes.

Is it working across the dimensions you feel are most important?

Return on Influence

Return on Influence asks you to carefully consider the impact your influence is having on the people in your organization.

Consider these questions as a starting point:

To what degree do you positively influence attitudes and behavior?

What values are people mirroring back to you?

Are people comfortable speaking to you candidly and openly?

How do people respond to your decisions or direction?

Are people learning and growing in self-esteem and self-confidence?

Add to this list any questions that align with your vision for leadership influence.

“Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.” ~ John Maxwell

Why is ROI important?

As leaders we ALWAYS influence. Consciously or unconsciously, intentionally or passively, we are affecting the lives of the people we serve.

The culture we create,

the talent we attract,

the level of engagement we achieve,

the balance of trust,

the underlying confidence inherent to our organization,

are largely the result of our ongoing influence.

This applies to all our interactions, both large and small.

Every moment matters.

We are reinforcing either positive or negative influence.

  • Be intentional - clarify your influence goals, write them down and connect them to desired outcomes.
  • Be specific - map your influence goals to specific behaviors you want to demonstrate.
  • Be aware - pay attention to the impact of your words and actions and how people respond.
  • Be flexible - if you aren’t seeing the results you seek, make the time to assess and adapt your approach.
  • Be personal - apply your influence to the specific needs of individuals, not just the group.
  • Be persistent - there are many influences at work on a person or organization, it will take some time to make an impact.

The compound effect of influence.

Influence has a built-in “pay it forward” function. When you determine to build a positive ROI within your circle of influence, the people you impact are likely going to carry that experience into their own circle, (and so on). This includes other employees, the community, their families and, oh yes, your customers. As your positive ROI increases, it also expands.

This truth also applies to negative influence.

Bottom line.

Influence is how we change the world, one person at a time.

Permission on Purpose - 10 Ways Leaders Can Say “Yes”

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Sometimes I have to work hard at giving myself permission.

I know this might sound kind of silly, but I’ve found a bunch of rules that got programmed into my brain somewhere along the way and anytime I bump up against them these voices in my head start telling me I’m asking for trouble.

While I’d like to think those voices were the result of irritable school teachers or parental lapses, I think many of them were installed for my protection at a point in life when they were needed. The problem is these rules don’t seem to realize that they no longer apply so I have to step in and clear things up. Run a different program.

Sometimes it’s a basic thing like believing I have the right to speak up in a meeting or confront someone who has pushed my boundaries. Other times it’s more personal like difficulty claiming responsibility for something good I accomplish as though I was not being appropriately humble or self-deprecating. Then there are the rules about when it’s ok to be vulnerable or express my emotions.

I suspect my story is not unique.

Some of the most helpful support I’ve received came from people I respect, trust and that I know care about me. Some of these people were leaders and mentors I worked with during my career.

They gave me permission, (encouraged me), to rewrite my mental rulebook so that more of my true self and full potential could be revealed.They provided an alternative message of possibility, freedom and courage. When I was ready, they helped create a safe environment to practice my new-found freedom and then listened and counseled as I shared stories about trying my new wings.

So let’s bring this into the realm of leadership.

It might be tempting to assume people should just figure things out and that they will intuitively understand your intentions. Isn’t this is the age of employee empowerment and engagement? Unfortunately, this attitude neglects the unspoken, internalized rules that many people bring with them to the workplace.

The mental and emotional rules they’ve created to protect themselves will override any posters on the wall or pronouncements in company meetings. You must reach out to people on a personal level and show them that they can trust you, that this is a safe place, and that they really do have permission to swim in the deep end.

Because it’s in the deep end that all the really good stuff happens.

I’d like to suggest these ten “un-rules” as a good place to start, but I suspect that as the trust and confidence in your relationship grows, so might the list.

  1. Yes, you can connect - This is a caring place. We look out for each other.
  2. Yes, you can act - If you are trying to do the right thing, and make a mistake, we’ve got your back.
  3. Yes, you can try - When you stretch to do something new, we’ll stretch with you and support you.
  4. Yes, you can express - Your ideas matter. Your feelings matter. We’ll listen.
  5. Yes, you can celebrate - When you win, we win. We’re gonna be your biggest cheerleaders.
  6. Yes, you can share - If the going gets rough and you are feeling down, we’ll be there for you.
  7. Yes, you can care - Don’t be ashamed to care about the people here and what happens here. We’re a community.
  8. Yes, you can disagree - Tell us what you think. We discuss things openly here and everyone has a say.
  9. Yes, you can ask - If you need help, ask. We’ve all been there and we want to help you succeed.
  10. Yes, you can go - When you are ready for the next step, the next job, the next challenge, we will encourage you.

I bet you have a story.

Someone who came along and pushed you to jump off the high dive or sing a solo in the school play. Someone who wanted to hear what you had to say, and when you said it, made you feel like you were brilliant. Now be that person for someone else.

Let them know they have room to be more, do more and achieve more and that you’ll be there, ready to help and working to create an environment for them to learn and grow. Show them you mean it by your actions, your example, how you treat people around them. Soon they will be ready to step out and give it a try. When they do, WOW! Leadership at its best.

Give yourself permission to be the person who opens the door.

That’s what leaders do.

 

 

 

 

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