 |
|
The source of the best business, financial and legal news |
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
 | |
| |
 |
Business Informations |
|
|
|
Fighting the Gravitational Pull of Positional Leadership
A little on leadership? Many people enter the leadership world through a position and a title, but we must understand that just owning a title doesn't make you a leader. Being a leader is about influence. Your ability to lead resides in your ability to influence others around you to accomplish organizational objectives. It's true that titles do initially command a certain amount of influence, but this influence is short lived. All a title buys you is time, nothing more, nothing less. This time can either increase your level of influence and lead, or diminish it and fail. One of the most common mistakes of a Leader, both new and tenured, is to fall into the gravitational pull of positional leadership. I use the term gravitational because as a new leader, it's pull represents the path of least resistance in the absence of training or experience. Many will learn, and escape, but others will remain committed to this methodology, unwilling to resist the pull through the belief that the approach is effective and is not to be challenged. I suggest that this approach is fundamentally flawed based on my own experience and evolution as a leader. I made this mistake, and I took this journey, but I learned and was able to fight the pull. Whether you are positional, work for someone who is positional, or someone to whom a positional person reports to, commit deep thought to this topic. Properly understood, it will lead to your success; disregarded, it could lead struggle and hardship. My story? Before I had the opportunity to lead, I had the obligation to follow. As a follower within my organization, I viewed the leadership team, as the end all be all of positions. I viewed them as the powerful, core team of cogs that forced the business machine to function. I watched how they dressed, and admired the spoils of the position: nice offices, sophisticated two-way Skytel Pagers (before they became mainstream), expensive looking attaché bags concealing distressed leather planners concealing an arsenal of Mont Blanc's, but most of all, I enjoyed the parting of the crowd as this larger than life team moved through our production areas. Many felt respect, many felt fear, and many envied what they saw. It's clear which category I fit into. I envied the position, title, and what those two items represented. I was fundamentally flawed in my admiration of these positionally anchored symbols of status. Only through a promotion and a lesson or two in life and leadership did I finally understand the errors of my ways. I worked hard, and stood out above the crowd. My hard work paid off, and upon my first promotion to a senior position, I received my Skytel pager and master key. I'll never forget the day. I had my position, title, and symbols of power. I knew I had arrived. My mistakes? But as a positional leader, by belief system was challenged by the fact that my results were not always desirable. As a positional leader, I assumed my position guaranteed a form of "packaged" loyalty, ensuring commitment and dedication from my subordinates. As John Maxwell stated in "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership", "He that leadeth and has no followers is merely taking a walk." One day while out leading I looked back, after giving a command or two, and realized that I was only taking a walk. I also believed that as the chief, each member of my team was there to help me accomplish my objectives. My vision was to sit atop the metaphorical mountain dispensing my wisdom and wishes out upon the eager people who wished nothing more than to execute the plans, which they had no involvement in creating. One day while dispensing my wisdom to my people, I noticed I was alone. It seemed that I needed to get down off my mountain, and go find my people. I thought as the leader, it was my job to rise above my people in the traditional way's in which I had seen my "mentors" do before. I did not approach my team in a constructive format. I did not believe in mutual solutions and problem solving, but rather with harsh decisive accountability. I can't tell you how many sups heard the mention of accountability, but never sincerely heard me ask how I could help. Since I was clearly the one in charge, (I had my title, master key, and pager to prove it) I was afraid to admit when I was wrong or didn't know an answer. I believed that to admit I didn't know, was to admit that I wasn't the leader. I thought that asking for help lowered my status on the totem pole of importance and that if I wasn't careful, I would resemble those "people" that I tried to tower above. As a result, I made many mistakes that could have been avoided. An old boss once told me that if you try to fake an answer, the crowd would see right through you. I didn't care as long as they could see my pager. I believed that position dictated response, and title was not to be argued with. As a result, when department heads handed down orders or harsh misguided words for members of my team, I didn't defend my people or clarify misunderstandings. My answer to the department heads was by usually agreeing that an action or response was unacceptable, and reassures them that I would address it with my team. I didn't work for my own people, so as a result, they didn't work as hard for me. My team saw me as not defending them, and as a result, did not view me as their leader. My team needed me, and I simply didn't realize that. Now fast-forward a year. Even though I was positionally oriented, I saw great results through hard line tactics and accountability. Actually, we broke company and client records, but the problem was that I couldn't sustain the success. Slowly, after time, our results faded along with my influence. I didn't use my time to increase my influence so it withered. As performance slowly eroded on the program, corporate "Smoke Jumpers" descended up the site to determine barriers to performance, evaluate staff, and create a solutions oriented approach for improvement. During one of these meetings my team was questioned on what they thought the problem was. This was their opportunity to give back some of the heat that I had been giving them for years. While the failure of the program was due to any single person, when they had audience to hear their concerns, they didn't exactly sing my praises. At this point, I learned what it meant to be positional, and realized that I fit the textbook definition. I realized that no matter our level of success, it could have been better. As for relationships, I realized if I was on fire on the production floor, I would get little assistance to put out the flames, although there would have probably been a crowd watching the warm glow has my career went up in flames. That unit eventually closed and I was transferred to another segment within the same location. In this new position, I reflected, learned my mistakes, and was thankful to still be employed. I had a chance to start over with a new team, and work diligently at avoiding my prior habits, and mistakes. I fought the pull of being a positional leader and survived. Of course I made mistakes with my new team as well, but I'll save that story for another time. If you feel the pull, resist at all cost. Remember, your position buys you time, nothing more, and nothing less, and time is running out! If you are interest in leadership theory and practices then you need to visit: http://www.righttolead.com. Aubie Pouncey is a contributing writer and thinker for our organization. In addition, as a leader you may be interested in http://www.myleadershipsuccess.com
MORE RESOURCES:
leadership - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
5 Steps on How to Set and Achieve Your Goals Which one is a goal? I will lose 15 pounds I want to run a marathon Quit smoking All of the above None of the above The correct answer is (5) - none of the above. The first three are wishes, not goals. Ten Qualities Of A Great Leader - Plus 1 Great Leaders are optimists first and foremost. Their tendency is to interact according to Henry Ford's observation, "whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right. Beyond Authority: Debunking the Top 3 Leadership Myths Have you noticed that across the business world people are recognizing that we are fast outgrowing the thinking and language of hierarchy, but we're also struggling to create a new, more collaborative future? The challenge for all is to figure out how to operate in this emerging paradigm-the one that our own efforts are helping to shape.As I work with top leaders in organizations and then, independently, the staff they lead, I'm frequently struck by the gulf that occurs between the two in the early stages of change. Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 4, Quiet Participants There are many reasons why someone would decline to participate during a meeting. For example, the person may feel reluctant to speak out, may disagree with the approach endorsed by others in the meeting, or may just be tired. Learn How to Lead People "Who rules or guides or inspires others"Having excellent guide skills is one of the most important abilities to possess in today's fast-paced world. We need the support and cooperation of other people to help us in reaching our goals. The Three Essential Attributes of a Leader: (Part 2) Bringing Others to the Vision We need to engage our listeners and transform them into excited, willing and committed supporters of the vision - for the duration of delivery!Logic, our intellect, doesn't know how to do this. It knows how to present the facts. People or Objects? - - You Decide "How you think determines how you act. How you act, in turn, determines how others react to you. Leadership Prep So you want to be a leader? Or you want to be a better leader? It can be done, you know. No matter where you are in your leadership journey, you CAN move forward. Leaders ARE; Are you? Identity CrisisIt's not only the knowledge you carry around in your head. More important to your effectiveness as a leader is your character - who you ARE. Transformational Leadership "What is leadership?" When this question is asked most of the people answer "leadership is the capacity or an ability of a person to lead". Earlier theories of leadership viz. Heres The REAL Reason Bush Won: The Dark Night Of The Leadership Soul George Bush won the election because he was finally able to break out of the presidential bubble and give "leadership talks" on a consistent basis.But to do it, he had to face the dark night of his leadership soul. 3 Cs Leaders Must Communicate! "Of every noble work the silent part is best, Of all expression that which can not be expressed" - William Wetmore StoryWhat we intend to communicate are the meanings our listeners hear.Every leader has something to say - yet, how many leaders tell those tales that need to be told?1) Are leaders using the wrong words?2) Are their words conveying the wrong things?3) Do they intentionally mean the wrong things?I believe our leadership communication problem involves an element of all three. The SAMMER Test: Leading People To Get The Right Results At the Right Time In The Right Way As a leader, you do nothing more important than get results. But simply getting results can be easy. On Being A Born Leader "Leaders are born, not made." Right? Let me ask you a question: do you believe that?I'll give you mine: I *don't* believe it. Quality Leadership The Lakota tribe of Native Americans has no word in the language for "I" or "me," only "we" or "us." Mahatma Gandhi insisted on traveling in third class carriages (on the train)because, as he explained, 'there is no fourth class. Charismatic Leadership What motivates people to work and to achieve? What circumstances create an environment in which some people achieve and others do not? Does motivation come from within or does it come from others - from leaders or managers? Can you motivate the un-motivated? Does it have to involve money? Why is it that some work teams achieve and others do not? Is it that the better work unit has better people? If this is so, then does that mean that the better work unit would succeed whether they were led or not? Is leadership the same as management or is leadership a part of management? Are managers and leaders the same?When I was researching the subject of success in the middle eighties I proposed the question 'What makes this sales team perform better than that one'? I was met with 'The difference is the manager'. It should not have been a surprise. Are You Playing or Practicing Leadership? Anne was a new supervisor, and like many new supervisors she took the new role as a manager and leader seriously. She took advantage of training that was offered to her. How To Get To Know A Disabled Person When you first meet someone who is blind, deaf, or in a wheelchair, what is your initial reaction? Curiosity? Sympathy? Awkwardness? If you experience any of these emotions, you are not alone. Chances are you don't regularly associate with someone who is disabled, so these feelings are quite common. Get Angry And Then Get Results Leadership is not about winning a popularity contest, it's about getting great results. To do so, leaders must challenge people not to do what they want to do but what they don't want to do. Business Leadership: How Much is in Your Credibility Bank Account? Business leaders have more than a title on their doors. They also have the trust and confidence of those who work for them; who work with them; and who buy from them.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
