Have had several discussions recently with folks centered around the idea of how to be a leader with influence? How do I get influence? Where do I get it? How long will it take to get? Why do some folks seemingly have it when others don’t? Does it really matter? Mentally recall the top 1-2 leaders you have been around…what made these leaders influential? Why do you feel the way you do about them? What makes them stand out here? Going to break this down into seven words…seven actions that these leaders did, displayed, on a regular basis, which created INFLUENCE. There are MANY folks today that are leaders, but leaders by title, the organizational chart, by position, by rank, by tenure with company and/or team. This approach is fine too, but if/when you really want to change an organization, company, team, family, etc. you will only do that by being a leader of INFLUENCE.
1. GIVE when they don’t have to.
a) Think of a time or experience this leader gave to someone or something they weren’t required to give, but they did without strings attached. They gave when perhaps they didn’t feel like it, but still gave. With no expectation…just to give i.e. time, to listen, lean in, be receptive, staying curious a bit longer. Think of the ways this leader gave to those he or she was charged with leading? How did that make you feel, or the division, the department feel?
2. CARE for others.
a) Would also imagine this individual likely cared for someone during a time of need, again selflessly with no strings attached. Think about ways we can show we care? What comes to mind? Simply put…how well we listen and/or follow through might be at the top of the list. To show you care takes a genuine and authentic approach that is vulnerable too. Think of ways you can show/share empathy? Think about your ability to listen and how its strongly tied into showing others you care.
3. GROW continuously.
a) Think how this leader worked to grow in areas of strength but also weakness. This leader not only works to improve his or herself but also those he or she leads. This leader never said, “I have arrived” but instead kept pushing outside the comfort zone. This leader had a strong sense of self awareness (Emotional intelligence (EQ)). This leader is always asking him or herself how can we get better; how can we push the envelope?
4. LIVE authentically.
a) Recall how this leader was committed to bettering themselves but also those he or she led. Their actions cultivate self-awareness (EQ). There is a strong sense of relating to others. They take ownership and are disciplined in what/how they do things, which is mission-driven. This high sense of EQ enables them to understand themselves but also their people, the organization and the vision…. all with genuine approach that’s modest and humble. How did this make you feel?
5. EMPOWER others.
a) This leader saw things in his or her employees that not only they didn’t see in themselves but that others didn’t see either. This leader was thinking how can we develop him or her, how can we help him or her get better…always thinking about how to pull the best out of others. This leader showed courage to have hard conversations built around the spirit of growth and development. You probably also saw a high degree of trust from this leader...allowing people the authority to make decisions.
6. MANAGE hardship well.
a) We will mess things up, we will fail, we will at times not be good enough, we will not hit the mark, etc. This leader allows that to happen and for his or her people to audit that failure and learn from it in a genuine, authentic way, which builds trust and rapport, and confidence within the team. When things don’t go your way, what is your response? What’s your team’s response? How does that impact your team’s ability to grow, push, develop, etc.? It starts and ends with THE LEADER. If I can’t manage/handle hardship well, then how can I expect my teammates to?
7. SERVE with humility.
a) This leader is first to recognize others. To highlight the achievements and contributions of the team. The humble leader is hard to find, but one that you will always remember. Why? Likely one of the most under discussed variables to leadership, but why? The humble leader is considered more approachable, forthright and forgiving of mistakes, willing to acknowledge others and the work they do, more collaborative…all of this motivates his or her workforce and their ability to share concepts/collaborate, which leads to working harder.
Area of focus for us all should be to self-audit our own areas of influence.On a likert scale of 1-5 or 1-10 with 5 or 10 being the highest value where do you score yourself? If any or all of these areas are low for you, how can you create habits to increase your score over the next 30, 60, 90, 120 days? Will leave you with one thought…the world doesn’t need more leaders. The world desperately needs more Leaders with Influence.
I really like how the last sentence wraps this blog up... "The world desperately needs more Leaders with Influence." Powerful.