Metis-OP - Competencies For Emerging Leaders-29 April '11

Competencies for Emerging Leaders
Metis ERC (I) Pvt Ltd

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Phone: 080-25727457/8 Website: www.metisindia.com
Leadership Overview
What is leadership? Who, what, and how are some of the looming questions that go through our
heads. Some of us cant even fathom taking on such a role. However, if we have something to offer
and teach then that is a first step to being one. So lets ask ourselves, do I have what it takes to be a
leader? Well everyone has a different perspective on what makes anything what it is. Some is based
on personal experience but it all comes down to the same common analogy of what a person
perceives the role of leader is, a person leading by example, has been described as the process of
social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment
of a common task. But the list can be summed up in different variations.
These are the several words that come to mind when we think of a great leader:
Integrity
Character
Wisdom
Passion
Perseverance
Discipline
Focus
Honesty
And most importantly; the desire to trudge on and never give up
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Now some people may ask why do I want to be a leader? Well if we look back to our younger days
there will surely be someone we used to look up to and envied. Someone who inspired and
motivated us to follow in their footsteps whether they were family, a best friend, or someone weve
never even met. In this industry everyone is looking for someone to lead them to achieve their
ultimate goals. So one day someone will look up to you and youll be able to teach others as your
mentor taught unto you; and duplicate your actions making them the upcoming leaders. Even so if
you are deemed worthy of being called a leader, even leaders can still be followers. Although they
have mastered the ability to earn that title, they also need to take a break every now and then and
take advice and heed council from other leaders or those who are showing leadership skills.
Effective management of organizations and human resources is facing enormous challenges.
Organizations are downsizing, re-engineering themselves to compete in the global market and facing
an explosion of available information (Luthans, 1998). Max Messmer (1999), CEO of Robert Half,
said in a recent survey of 150 executives from some of the nations largest companies, that
leadership skills were identified as the most important assets of managers. James E. Perrella (1999),
Chairman, President and CEO, Ingersoll-Rand Company, stated that there is a movement from a
manufacturing economy to a value-added, service-oriented economy. And at the heart of service is
relationships: interpersonal relationships; intergroup relationships; and interdepartmental
relationships. The ascendancy of work teams in large organizations puts a new premium on
relationship team skills.
Among others, this set of skills includes the following competencies:
1. Communicating or listening openly and sending convincing messages
2. Managing conflict, which entails negotiating and resolving disagreements
3. Inspiring and guiding individuals and groups as a leader
4. Initiating and managing change, and
5. Collaborating and cooperating with others toward shared goals (Perrella, 1999, p 437).
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Emotional intelligence is defined as a persons self-awareness, self-confidence, self-control,
commitment and integrity, and a persons ability to communicate, influence, initiate change and
accept change (Goleman, 1998). Studies have shown that emotional intelligence impacts a leaders
ability to be effective (Goleman, 1998). Three of the most important aspects of emotional
intelligence for a leaders ability to make effective decisions are self-awareness, communication and
influence, and commitment and integrity. Managers who do not develop their emotional intelligence
have difficulty in building good relationships with peers, subordinates, superiors and clients
(Goleman, 1998).
"When it comes to improving organizational effectiveness, management scholars and practitioners
are beginning to emphasize the importance of a managers emotional intelligence" (Sosik,
Megerian, 1999). What influence does emotional intelligence have on the effectiveness of decisions
made by a modern organizational leader? To answer this question, three concepts need to be
defined: emotional intelligence, qualities of a leader, and effective decision-making.
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What makes a person a leader is still debated, but according to Warren Bennis (1994) all leaders
seem to share some common traits.
The first is a guiding vision or purpose. A leader has a clear idea of what she or he wants to
do professionally and personally, and will pursue the goal regardless of the setbacks.
The second characteristic is passion or enthusiasm and the ability to communicate that
passion to others.
Third, is integrity, consisting of three ingredients: self-knowledge, candor, and maturity.
Self-knowledge is knowing ones strengths and weaknesses. Candor is being honest with
yourself and is the key to knowing yourself. Maturity is the result of the lessons learned
through following, while observing others, learning to be dedicated, and working with
others. It is being truthful and never servile.
The last two traits go hand in hand: curiosity and daring. A leader wants to learn as much as
possible and is willing to take risks.
Effective Leadership
The term effective can be defined as
(1) "getting the job done through high quantity and quality standards of performance, and
(2) getting the job done through people, requiring their satisfaction and commitment" (Luthans,
1998).
An example of how emotional intelligence is used to express leadership is in the book "Seven Habits
of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey (1989). According to Covey the effect of
developing the first three habits significantly increases self-confidence. You will come to know
yourself in a deeper, more meaningful way. Understanding of ones nature, deepest set of values and
unique contribution capacity becomes clearer. This is the foundation of emotional intelligence as
defined by Daniel Goleman self-awareness. It is also the building of motivational ability. Covey
continues, saying that as the first three habits continue to be developed, ones sense of identity,
integrity, control and inner-directedness will increase.
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There will be an increase in caring about what others think of themselves and their relationship to
you. This is the development of the self-regulation and empathy aspects of emotional intelligence.
The next three habits describe the social skills of emotional intelligence. They help a person to heal
and rebuild important relationships. Good relationships will improve, becoming more solid, more
creative and more adventuresome. The seventh habit is developing ones self through the use of the
first six habits. It is taking the time to reflect or further develop self-awareness.
Take into account the words used by Warren Bennis (1994) to describe a leader. He uses the words
integrity, self-knowledge, enthusiasm, vision, purpose, pursue goals, and honesty. These are the
same words used to describe various facets of emotional intelligence. Bennis in his book "On
Becoming a Leader" has a list of interesting differences between a manager and a leader and they
are given in the table below.
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Manager Vs. Leader
A manager A leader
Administers Innovates
Is a copy Is an original
Maintains Develops
Focuses on systems and structure Focuses on people
Relies on control Inspires trust
Has a short-range view Has a long-range perspective
Asks how and when Asks what and why
Has his eye on the bottom line Has his eye on the horizon
Imitates Originates
Accepts the status quo Challenges it
Is the classic good soldier Is his own person
Does things right Does the right thing
The difference between the manager and leader, as described by Bennis, is the same as described by
Patricia Pitchers differences between the technocrat (manager) and the artist (leader). The
description of the leader or artist uses characteristics of emotional intelligence.
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Leadership Styles
From Mahatma Gandhi to Winston Churchill to Martin Luther King to Rudolph Giuliani, there are
as many leadership styles as there are leaders. Fortunately, businesspeople and psychologists have
developed useful and simple ways to describe the main styles of leadership, and these can help
aspiring leaders understand which styles they should use.
So, whether managing a team at work, captain a sports team, or lead a major corporation, which
approach is best? Consciously, or subconsciously, we probably use some of the leadership styles in
this article at some point. Understanding these styles and their impact can help us develop our own,
personal leadership style and help you become a more effective leader.
With this in mind, there are many different frameworks that have shaped our current understanding
of leadership, and many of these have their place, just as long as they're used appropriately. Now let
us understand some of the most common frameworks, and then looks at popular styles of leadership.
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Researchers have developed a number of leadership theories over the years. These can be
categorized into four main types:
1. Trait theories What type of person makes a good leader?
Trait theories argue that leaders share a number of common personality traits and characteristics,
and that leadership emerges from these traits. Early trait theories promoted the idea that leadership
is an innate, instinctive quality that you either have or don't have. Thankfully, we've moved on from
this approach, and we're learning more about what we can do as individuals to develop leadership
qualities within ourselves and others.
What's more, traits are external behaviors that emerge from things going on within the leader's mind
and it's these internal beliefs and processes that are important for effective leadership.
Trait theory does, however, help us identify some qualities that are helpful when leading others and,
together, these emerge as a generalized leadership style. Examples include empathy, assertiveness,
good decision-making, and likability. In our article Building Tomorrow's Leaders, we discuss a
series of attributes that are important for all types of leaders to develop. However, none of these
traits, nor any combination of them, will guarantee success as a leader. You need more than that.
2. Behavioral theories What does a good leader do?
Behavioral theories focus on how leaders behave. Do they dictate what needs to be done and expect
cooperation? Or do they involve the team in decisions to encourage acceptance and support?
In the 1930s, Kurt Lewin developed a leadership framework based on a leader's decision-making
behavior.
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Lewin argued that there are three types of leaders:
a. Autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting their teams. This is considered
appropriate when decisions genuinely need to be taken quickly, when there's no need for input, and
when team agreement isn't necessary for a successful outcome.
b. Democratic leaders allow the team to provide input before making a decision, although the
degree of input can vary from leader to leader. This type of style is important when team
agreement matters, but it can be quite difficult to manage when there are lots of different
perspectives and ideas.
c. Laissez-faire leaders don't interfere; they allow the team to make many of the decisions.
Typically this happens when the team is highly capable and motivated, and it doesn't need close
monitoring or supervision.
Similar to Lewin's model, the Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid helps you decide how best to lead,
depending on your concern for people versus your concern for production. The model describes five
different leadership styles: impoverished, country club, team leader, produce or perish, or middle of
the road. The descriptions of these will help you understand your own leadership habits and adapt
them to meet your team's needs.
John Adair's Action-Centered Leadership model is another framework that's consistent
with behavioral theories of leadership. Using this model, the "best" leadership style is determined
by balancing task, team, and individual responsibilities. Leaders who spend time managing each of
these elements will likely be more successful than those who focus mostly on only one element.
Clearly, then, how leaders behave impacts on their effectiveness. Researchers have realized, though,
that many of these leadership behaviors are appropriate at different times. So, the best leaders are
those who can use many different behavioral styles and use the right style for each situation.
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3. Contingency theories How does the situation influence good leadership?
The realization that there isn't one correct type of leader led to theories that the best leadership style
is contingent on, or depends on, the situation. These theories try to predict which leadership style is
best in which circumstance.
When a decision is needed fast, which style is preferred? When the leader needs the full support of
the team, is there a better way to lead? Should a leader be more people oriented or task oriented?
These are all examples of questions that contingency leadership theories try to address.
A popular contingency-based framework is the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory,
which links leadership style with the maturity of individual members of the leader's team. Other
contingency-based models include House's Path-Goal Theory, and Fiedler's Contingency Model.
4. Power and influence theories What is the source of the leader's power?
These theories of leadership take an entirely different approach. They're based on the different ways
in which leaders use power and influence to get things done, and the leadership styles that emerge as
a result. Perhaps the most well known of these theories is French and Raven's Five Forms of Power.
This model distinguishes between using your position to exert power, and using your
personal attributes to be powerful.
French and Raven identified three types of positional power legitimate, reward, and coercive and
two sources of personal power expert and referent (your personal appeal and charm). The model
suggests that using personal power is the better alternative and, because Expert Power (the power
that comes with being a real expert in the job) is the most legitimate of these, that you should
actively work on building this.
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Similarly, leading by example is another highly effective way to establish and sustain a positive
influence with your team.
Another valid leadership style that's supported by power and influence theories is Transactional
Leadership. This approach assumes that work is done only because it is rewarded, and for no other
reason, and it therefore focuses on designing tasks and reward structures. While it may not be the
most appealing leadership strategy in terms of building relationships and developing a long-term
motivating work environment, it does work, and it's used in most organizations on a daily basis to
get things done.
An Up-to-Date Understanding of Leadership:
Within all of these theories, frameworks, and approaches to leadership, there's an
underlying message that leaders need to have a variety of factors working in their favor. Effective
leadership is not simply based on a set of attributes, behaviors, or influences. You must have a wide
range of abilities and approaches that you can draw upon.
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Having said this, however, there's one leadership style that is appropriate in very many corporate
situations that of Transformational Leadership.
A leader using this style:
Has integrity
Sets clear goals
Clearly communicates a vision
Sets a good example
Expects the best from the team
Encourages
Supports
Recognizes good work and people
Provides stimulating work
Helps people see beyond their self-interests and focus more on team interests and needs
Inspires
In short, transformational leaders are exceptionally motivating, and they're trusted. When your team
trusts you, and is really "fired up" by the way you lead, you can achieve great things!
Transformational Leadership suits very many circumstances in business, we need to remember that
there may be situations where it's not the best style. This is why it's worth knowing about the other
styles shown below so that you have a greater chance of finding the right
combination for the situation you find yourself in.
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Popular Leadership Styles A Glossary:
The leadership theories and styles discussed so far are based on research. However, many more
terms are used to describe approaches to leadership, even if these don't fit within a
particular theoretical system. It's worth understanding these!
1. Autocratic leadership
Autocratic leadership is an extreme form of transactional leadership, where leaders have absolute
power over their workers or team. Staff and team members have little opportunity to
make suggestions, even if these would be in the team's or the organization's best interest.
Most people tend to resent being treated like this. Therefore, autocratic leadership usually leads to
high levels of absenteeism and staff turnover. For some routine and unskilled jobs, the style can
remain effective because the advantages of control may outweigh the disadvantages.
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2. Bureaucratic leadership
Bureaucratic leaders work "by the book." They follow rules rigorously, and ensure that their staff
follows procedures precisely. This is a very appropriate style for work involving serious safety risks
(such as working with machinery, with toxic substances, or at dangerous heights) or where large
sums of money are involved (such as handling cash).
3. Charismatic leadership
A charismatic leadership style can seem similar to transformational leadership, because
these leaders inspire lots of enthusiasm in their teams and are very energetic in driving others
forward. However, charismatic leaders can tend to believe more in themselves than in their teams,
and this creates a risk that a project, or even an entire organization, might collapse if the leader
leaves. In the eyes of the followers, success is directly connected to the presence of the charismatic
leader. As such, charismatic leadership carries great responsibility, and it needs a long-term
commitment from the leader.
4. Democratic leadership or participative leadership
Although democratic leaders make the final decisions, they invite other members of the team to
contribute to the decision-making process. This not only increases job satisfaction by involving team
members, but it also helps to develop people's skills. Team members feel in control of their own
destiny, so they're motivated to work hard by more than just a financial reward.
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Because participation takes time, this approach can take more time, but often the end result is better.
The approach can be most suitable when working as a team is essential, and when quality is more
important than speed to market or productivity.
5. Laissez-faire leadership
This French phrase means "leave it be," and it's used to describe leaders who leave their team
members to work on their own. It can be effective if the leader monitors what's being achieved and
communicates this back to the team regularly. Most often, laissez-faire leadership is effective when
individual team members are very experienced and skilled self-starters. Unfortunately, this type of
leadership can also occur when managers don't apply sufficient control.
6. People-oriented leadership or relations-oriented leadership
This is the opposite of task-oriented leadership. With people-oriented leadership, leaders are totally
focused on organizing, supporting, and developing the people in their teams. It's a participative
style, and it tends to encourage good teamwork and creative collaboration.
In practice, most leaders use both task-oriented and people-oriented styles of leadership.
7. Servant leadership
This term, created by Robert Greenleaf in the 1970s, describes a leader who is often not formally
recognized as such. When someone, at any level within an organization, leads simply by meeting the
needs of the team, he or she is described as a "servant leader."
In many ways, servant leadership is a form of democratic leadership, because the whole team tends
to be involved in decision making. Supporters of the servant leadership model suggest that it's an
important way to move ahead in a world where values are increasingly important, and where servant
leaders achieve power on the basis of their values and ideals. Others believe that in competitive
leadership situations, people who practice servant leadership can find themselves left behind by
leaders using other leadership styles.
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8. Task-Oriented leadership
Highly task-oriented leaders focus only on getting the job done, and they can be quite autocratic.
They actively define the work and the roles required, put structures in place, plan, organize, and
monitor. However, because task-oriented leaders don't tend to think much about the well-being of
their teams, this approach can suffer many of the flaws of autocratic leadership, with difficulties in
motivating and retaining staff.
9. Transactional leadership
This style of leadership starts with the idea that team members agree to obey their leader totally
when they accept a job. The "transaction" is usually the organization paying the team members in
return for their effort and compliance.
The leader has a right to "punish" team members if their work doesn't meet the pre-determined
standard. Team members can do little to improve their job satisfaction under transactional
leadership. The leader could give team members some control of their income/reward by using
incentives that encourage even higher standards or greater productivity. Alternatively, a transactional
leader could practice "management by exception" rather than rewarding better work, the leader
could take corrective action if the required standards are not met.
Transactional leadership is really a type of management, not a true leadership style, because the
focus is on short-term tasks. It has serious limitations for knowledge-based or creative work.
10. Transformational leadership
As we discussed earlier, people with this leadership style are true leaders who inspire their teams
constantly with a shared vision of the future. While this leader's enthusiasm is often passed onto the
team, he or she can need to be supported by "detail people." That's why, in many organizations, both
transactional and transformational leadership are needed. The transactional leaders (or managers)
ensure that routine work is done reliably, while the transformational leaders look after initiatives
that add value.
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Key Points
While the transformational leadership approach is often highly effective, there's no one "right" way
to lead or manage that fits all situations. To choose the most effective approach for
yourself, consider the following:
The skill levels and experience of your team
The work involved (routine, or new and creative)
The organizational environment (stable or radically changing, conservative or adventurous)
You own preferred or natural style
Good leaders often switch instinctively between styles, according to the people they lead and the
work that needs to be done. Establish trust that's key to this process and remember to balance the
needs of the organization against the needs of your team.
Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee, in Primal Leadership, describe six styles of
leading that have different effects on the emotions of the target followers. These are styles, not types.
Any leader can use any style, and a good mix that is customized to the situation is generally the
most effective approach.
The Visionary Leader
The Visionary Leader moves people towards a shared vision, telling them where to go but not how
to get there - thus motivating them to struggle forwards. They openly share information, hence
giving knowledge power to others. They can fail when trying to motivate more experienced experts
or peers. This style is best when a new direction is needed. Overall, it has a very strong impact on
the climate.
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The Coaching Leader
The Coaching Leader connects wants to organizational goals, holding long conversations that reach
beyond the workplace, helping people find strengths and weaknesses and tying these to career
aspirations and actions. They are good at delegating challenging assignments, demonstrating faith
that demands justification and which leads to high levels of loyalty. Done badly, this style looks like
micromanaging. It is best used when individuals need to build long-term capabilities. It has a highly
positive impact on the climate.
The Affiliative Leader
The Affiliative Leader creates people connections and thus harmony within the organization. It is a
very collaborative style which focuses on emotional needs over work needs. When done badly, it
avoids emotionally distressing situations such as negative feedback. Done well, it is often used
alongside visionary leadership. It is best used for healing rifts and getting through stressful
situations. It has a positive impact on climate.
The Democratic Leader
The Democratic Leader acts to value inputs and commitment via participation, listening to both the
bad and the good news. When done badly, it looks like lots of listening but very little effective
action. It is best used to gain buy-in or when simple inputs are needed (when you are uncertain). It
has a positive impact on climate.
The Pace-setting Leader
The Pace-setting Leader builds challenge and exciting goals for people, expecting excellence and
often exemplifying it themselves. They identify poor performers and demand more of them. If
necessary, they will roll up their sleeves and rescue the situation themselves. They tend to be low on
guidance, expecting people to know what to do. They get short term results but over the long term
this style can lead to exhaustion and decline.
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Done badly, it lacks Emotional Intelligence, especially self-management. It is best used for results
from a motivated and competent team. It often has a very negative effect on climate (because it is
often poorly done).
The Commanding Leader
The Commanding Leader soothes fears and gives clear directions by his or her powerful stance,
commanding and expecting full compliance (agreement is not needed). They need emotional self-
control for success and can seem cold and distant. This approach is best in times of crisis when you
need unquestioned rapid action and with problem employees who do not respond to other methods.
Emotional Intelligence does not fit the classic historical models of leadership. The latter are usually
associated with great figures of military history and conjure up charismatic and sometimes despotic
images. However, people often use the same language for leadership today - bold, brave and tough
with a strong sense of purpose and resolve.
However, this does not fit today's needs, because:
today's workforce does not accept the autocratic style often adopted by leaders following
historical models of leadership.
leadership has had to evolve to match a growing sense of democracy and independence in
the workforce
employees now have far more options and choices than the foot soldiers of yesterday
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Analyzing existing leadership competencies (SWOT analysis)
SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture. It involves specifying the
objective of the business venture or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are
favorable and unfavorable to achieve that objective.
A SWOT analysis must first start with defining a desired end state or objective. A SWOT analysis
may be incorporated into the strategic planning model. Strategic Planning has been the subject of
much research.
Strengths: characteristics of the business or team that give it an advantage over others
in the industry.
Weaknesses: are characteristics that place the firm at a disadvantage relative to others.
Opportunities: external chances to make greater sales or profits in the environment.
Threats: external elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the
business.
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Identification of SWOTs are essential because subsequent steps in the process of planning for
achievement of the selected objective may be derived from the SWOTs.
First, the decision makers have to determine whether the objective is attainable, given the SWOTs. If
the objective is NOT attainable a different objective must be selected and the process repeated.
Understanding yourself, your goals, responses, behavior, to create possibilities and intentions.
It can be a good idea to use SWOT analysis to understand one's current situation. It provides more
clarity about the current resources, and it is useful to sit down and brainstorm before activating an
action plan. SWOT analysis is an effective way of planning towards achieving your goals. You can
better determine where you stand, what actions might proactively be taken and what solutions exist.
It's worth while being creative and adjust the tool to suit you or your current situation. In addition,
get someone who knows you well to contribute to your SWOT analysis; other peoples views of you
are sometimes useful and may provide a wider picture with more information about you to work
with or on. Note though that hearing feedback from others especially your weakness may not be
particularly pleasant but always remember that your goal here is to proactively work towards
improving yourself.
It can be summarized as follows:
Strength
1, what do you well?
2, What are the unique resources can you draw on
3, what do others see as your strength?
e.g your qualifications, skills, charisma, large supportive net work, good family ties, flexible job,
lots of free time, speaking with conviction, good eyes for details, money and many more
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Weaknesses
1, What can be improved?
2, where do you have fewer resources than other?
3, what are others likely to see as your weakness?
Eg, poor communication skills, poor time management, easily distracted, always over analyze
everything, workaholic, lazy and many more
Opportunities
1,what good opportunities are open to you ?
2, what trends could you take advantage of?
3,How can you turn your strength into opportunities?
E.g, Starting a new job or business, working from home, creating more time, travelling and
exploring, improving general well being and many more
Threats
1,what trends could harm you?
2, what is your competition doing?
3, what threats do your weaknesses expose you too?
E.g procrastination, poor time management, laziness and many more
In summary, your...
Strengths need to be maintained, built upon or leveraged.
Weaknesses need to be remedied, changed or stopped.
Opportunities need to be prioritized, captured, built on and optimized.
Threats need to be countered or minimized and manage
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Self Development
Individuals can utilize the SWOT analysis tool as the basis for a personal growth plan and a road
map for personal development. Whereas a traditional negative focus might suggest building personal
growth planning on weaknesses and threats, current research study findings would indicate one
should begin with a clear understanding of core or signature strengths.
The traditional approach has been to work to improve weaknesses. Current thinking is that time and
energy spent on improving a weakness is less productive than utilizing that time with one's
strengths.
It is important, though, to understand one's weaknesses. Rather than working to improve
weaknesses, if at all possible one should attempt to find ways to minimize the use of personal
weaknesses.
Again building on personal strengths, one might consider the threats and opportunities landscape
from a strength standpoint. Threats to personal growth might be any aspect of one's life that inhibits
personal growth and development.
In considering alternatives for removing or minimizing threats, focus on options that utilize
signature strengths, as these are the most effective tools one possesses. Similarly, personal growth
opportunities can be considered relative to how best one might build on strengths to take advantage
of these opportunities.
Individuals can utilize the SWOT tool to build a personal growth and development plan based on
strengths. By first identifying personal strengths, one can then plan to utilize strengths in
overcoming personal weaknesses and threats to growth while taking advantage of opportunities.
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Influence Quotient
Influence is at the core of leadership and persuasion. It is crucial to interpersonal relationships. So
how do you get it and how can you use it well?
Influence is based on seven relationships: credibility; reciprocity; authority; liking; scarcity;
consistency and social proof. These factors are based on psychology, communication and various
business sciences. Typically, people prefer to do business with those they know, like and trust.
Effective interaction employs the tools of influence both consciously and subconsciously.
How do you raise your influence quotient? Careful management of communication and connecting
tools allows for more profound impact. Persuasion is a skill that is developed and mastered over
time. Many of the most influential consistently appear on Times list. According to the magazine,
those with the greatest impact have influence in one of five categories: Leaders & Revolutionaries;
Builders & Titans; Artists & Entertainers; Scientists & Thinkers; and Heroes & Icons. Within each
category, the 20 most influential people (sometimes pairs or small groups) are selected, for a grand
total of 100 each year.
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You dont have to be a person of influence to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in
our life are probably not even aware of the things theyve taught us.
Anyone can create moments of influence, but creating lasting influence is where your sights should
be set. Understanding how to leverage the influence factor can make a defining difference in your
ability to drive change, build cohesive teams, and to successfully implement strategic vision.
As a leader your Influence Quotient is the IQ you need to pay attention to. In fact, your influence
quotient will be a much greater determinant of your ultimate success than your Intelligence
Quotient could ever be. Innate, raw intelligence while certainly something to be prized, is much
more common and much less powerful than real influence.
Influence does not refer to manipulation, elaborate schemes, or other forms of skulduggery. Ill-
gotten gains will always be exposed for what they are, and moreover, they will never be worth the
compromises that were made in order to achieve them. Not only is true influence not difficult to
acquire, but it is also sustainable when you understand the proper constructs.
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Put simply, true influence is nothing more than understanding how to work with and through others
to achieve a stated objective while staying true to your core values and maintaining your integrity.
The following fundamental concepts of influence, which if properly understood and implemented,
can help anyone become more efficient, productive and successful:
1. Influence is built upon a foundation of trust: If a person is not trusted there is a firm limit on
their ability to create and use influence. People will rarely make a leap of faith for someone who
hasnt earned their trust. However most people will gladly take a blind leap of faith for someone
whom they have come to trust. Trust Matters.
2. Influence is built upon making others successful: This is often times referred to as the law of
reciprocity. The theory is that if you invest yourself in making someone else successful then they in
turn will likely be predisposed to helping you become successful. While this principle will not
always pan out, in my experience it has held true across the overwhelming majority of my
interactions through the years. True influence is rarely built upon the backs of others, but rather by
helping others achieve their goals.
3. Likability: People do business with people they like, and avoid doing business with people they
dont likeits just that simple. Are you approachable, positive, affable, trustworthy, a person of
character and integrity, or are you someone who is standoffish, pessimistic and generally not to be
trusted? Those who fall into the camp of the former as opposed to the latter will find themselves
having more influence and success. The key take away here is that being a jerk doesnt lead to the
creation of influence.
4. Influence is most often possessed by those with authority: It is important to realize that there
is a reason for the statement the highest authority is that which is given, and rarely that which is
taken. Authority is most often given to those that display honesty, competency, expertise and
wisdom. With authority comes credibility, and with credibility comes influence. While influence
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can be wielded by those without authority, it will be limited in both scope and scale. Those with the
most authority will always have the most influence.
5. Value and scarcity drive influence: Understanding the value of your position, brand, authority,
resources, access to people or knowledge and any number of other items as it relates to fulfilling the
needs and desires of others creates influence. To the extent that anything under your direct or
indirect control is scarce or proprietary your ability to create influence will increase significantly.
Bottom lineDont manipulate for personal gain, rather facilitate for mutual benefit. Take a sincere
interest in the success of others, work on your likability factor, become adept at gaining
commitment, develop your authority and control, and have access to things of value or scarcity and
your influence with others will increase.
The way in which you behave as a manager and the approach you take will have a marked effect on
your ultimate success or failure. Having a range of approaches and styles of behaviour gives you
more flexibility. It increases your options - and your chances of success.
Natural Styles
Most managers have a natural style of influence which they prefer to use whenever possible. More
flexible managers also keep in reserve a fall back style, used when the preferred style doesn't
achieve the desired results.
However, there are at least eight identifiable styles of influence - not including aggression,
manipulation or force! Because you are influencing a wide range of people, proficiency in a wider
range of styles will ensure more success. Step outside the comfort zone of your natural style and
enjoy greater success by practising new ways of influencing.
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However, do think carefully which influencing style has the greatest chance of succeeding. Varying
your styles too much may give you a reputation for being unpredictable
The Autocratic Approach
You tell them, they agree
Use the push style when:
You are looking for a quick response
You seek only short-term commitment
You are happy to check up and follow through
This approach works best when supported by power, authority, age, knowledge or wisdom.
Resistance or objections are minimized. You tell others what you want them to do and they do it.
Do remember though, that autocracy can be a high-risk strategy. It may result in a feeling of 'You
won, I lost'. They'll get you next time.
The Collaborative Approach
You include others in the decision-making process.
Use this style when:
You want to maintain long-term influence with others
You seek a high level of commitment
You have no time to enforce the outcome
This approach works successfully without you having any power or authority.
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A word of caution, democracy takes time and can result in watered down solutions. Remain
consistently collaborative. Don't give up too early. Avoid imposing too many parameters or
conditions - these will create frustration in others.
The Logical Approach
You use clear logical, unassailable arguments, supported by proof.
Use logic when:
The other person demands evidence and lots of detail
You are prepared to do your homework
You are prepared to wait for a reaction
This approach works best when the other person is a logical, linear thinker. Avoid exaggeration and
unnecessary emotion. Offer instead facts and figures. But, you may find this style long-winded and
frustrating. You may even be forced to put it in writing. Allow time to prepare your argument, time
to explain it, time to wait for a reaction.
The Emotional Approach
You use your natural charm, charisma or enthusiasm.
Use emotion when:
You want others to feel part of an exciting project
You want to fire up someone's motivation
You are truly enthusiastic about an idea
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This approach works when your influence becomes a genuine extension of your own feelings and
beliefs. Appealing to the long-term effects of your ideas, you will reinforce their continuing value.
Do remember though that emotional appeal carries risks. It can leave a nasty taste in the mouth.
Painful memories linger longer.
The Assertive Approach
You ask directly, clearly and confidently for what you want, or don't want.
Be assertive when:
You want to influence autocratic people, bullies, stick-in-the-muds
You want to influence behaviors
You need to act and initiate, rather than react
Assertiveness can have a lasting effect, especially on those who least expect it from you. Any
resistance is met by your persistence.
Assertive influence carries little or no risk.
The Passive Approach
You win the day by being submissive, by not overtly influencing.
Remain passive when:
You want to influence others through personal demonstration
You want to avoid unhelpful confrontation
You have tried all the other approaches
As you quietly demonstrate desired behaviors, others can see for themselves the value in following
your lead. Many potential confrontations with power or authority demand submissive influence,
which can pay positive dividends.
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The downside is that your submissiveness may leave you with feelings of low-esteem. Can you live
with this?
The Sales Approach
You use good old-fashioned salesmanship.
Use salesmanship when:
You know that the other person expects to be sold to
You need to show the benefits your suggestion will produce
You enjoy selling ideas
Draw out their point of view, understand their needs, demonstrate that you empathise; minimise
resistance by showing how their ideas dovetail with your own; show how they will benefit.
Do realise though that logical or submissive people often hate an overt sales approach and may
work hard to wreck your plans.
The Bargaining Approach
You trade concessions in order to reach a mutually acceptable conclusion.
Bargain or negotiate when:
You are both equally keen to go ahead with the idea
You are happy and able to offer a few concessions
You want to reach a win-win conclusion
Don't just share the cake - make it a bigger one. Your success as a fair negotiator will help cement
the relationship.
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Aim too low and you'll end up even lower. Over collaborate and you may regret giving too much
away. Always trade concessions.
The Power Of Positive Behavior
Who has been a big influence in your life? A parent, relative, employer, friend or neighbor?
Chances are that they often did nothing specific to influence you - they just behaved in ways that
you took note of and decided to copy. The behavior of others can be influenced greatly when they
observe the ways in which you:
Deal with aggression
Handle awkward customers
Control group behavior
Field tricky questions
Overcome resistance
Live by your values and beliefs
Walk the talk
Behaviors that help the influencing process:
Continuous maintenance of rapport
Maintaining good eye contact
Congruent body language which supports your messages
Appropriate voice tone which underpins what you say
Flexibility - being prepared to change your approach, when necessary
Awareness and acceptance of the needs of others
Lack of conditional words, which dilute your messages
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In Summary: Modeling Behavior
Suppose we don't have sufficient flexibility of style. With practice, it's easy to observe, analyse and
reproduce the effective behaviors of other people. If you've ever studied any skill under a master,
you will already have done this.
Suppose you know a person who uses an influencing style in a particularly elegant or effective
manner. You have identified this as something you would like to improve for yourself. By closely
observing what works for that person and noticing the effect it has on others, you can begin to
experiment by adopting these behaviors and strategies and making them work for you, too.
Behavior is only behavior - it can usually be replicated
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Key factors to achieve team performance
"Success though teams needs a leadership shift from 'what one can get out
of the team to meet their needs' to 'what one can provide the team so
together can achieve team goal."
"A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are
committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for
which they hold themselves mutually accountable."
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An important leadership competency for any organization is the ability to build and lead
high performing teams is especially critical in small-to-midsize businesses. Here people
must work closely together, wear many hats and work effectively across the
organization to get tasks accomplished quickly enough to remain competitive. In order
to understand the competencies needed to build and lead high performance teams, it is helpful to
first define a team.
"A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common
purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable."
Using this definition, we can outline three important competencies for the effective team leader.
Promoting understanding of why a group of people need to be a team. The team needs to
understand its shared goals and what each team member brings to the team that is relevant
and crucial to its overall successes.
Ensuring the team has adequate knowledge to accomplish its task. This includes
information relevant to the team's goals and individual job competencies.
Facilitating effective interaction in such as way as to ensure good problem
solving, decision making and coordination of effort.
The Roles of the Effective Team Leader
In order to encourage this level of collaboration and interdependency, the team leader must provide
the necessary support and structure for the team, starting with putting together the right people.
Team members should be selected and their tasks assigned with their natural skills in mind. Not
every person is capable of doing every job.
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The team must also have the resources and training required to develop the skills needed to do their
jobs. This includes cross-training. Cross-training gives team members a greater awareness of how
their jobs are interdependent, increasing the team's flexibility and improving response time. The
quality of the team's response is highly dependent on the timeliness of the feedback received from
the team's leader, other team members and customers. Receiving timely feedback is crucial to the
effectiveness of the team. The effective team leader ensures that feedback reaches the entire team on
its goals and metrics, as well as feedback to each individual team member. This feedback must be
received in time to make adjustments and corrections. Often, feedback is received too late to have
any practical value in the moment, and consequently, it feels like criticism. While it might be useful
for future planning, it does not promote immediate corrections in performance.
Feedback is a form of constructive communication, another necessary tool in the effective team
leader's tool chest. No matter how traditional or innovative the work design,
consistent and constructive communication throughout the team is essential. The act of
constructive communication can do more than anything else to improve quality and productivity.
Timely and appropriately delivered feedback can make the difference between a team that hides
mistakes and a team that sees mistakes as opportunities.
When a team views mistakes as opportunities for improving the team's process and results, it's a
sign that the team leader has successfully created an environment that promotes problem-solving.
People are problem solvers by nature. When they are allowed to create their own solutions (rather
than having expert solutions imposed upon them) team members are more proactive and engaged.
Teams also have greater ownership of solutions they discover for themselves.
Creating an environment that promotes problem-solving is part of creating an effective
team structure. Poor team structure can actually create negative, ineffective behaviors in individuals
and impede communication. The responsibility for poor performance is usually a function of the
team structure rather than individual incompetence; yet, it is individuals who are sent to human
resources or training programs for fixing.
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If team members feel like they are pitted against one another to compete for rewards and
recognition, they will withhold information that might be useful to the greater team. When a team
has problems, the effective team leader will focus on the team's structure before focusing on
individuals.
Remember: a "willingness" to participate collaboratively as a team member does not guarantee the
desired outcome. People thrown into a collaborative situation, especially those without experience
operating in this mode, need assistance to guarantee success. Managers who are skeptical of team
participation to begin with often throw their people into an unplanned, unstructured
decision-making process, responding with "I told you so" as they watch their team flounder.
By contrast, managers who focus on promoting good understanding, ensuring adequate knowledge
and facilitating effective interaction, will watch the transformation of their job from
one that required constant supervision, fire-fighting, and oversight, to one that allows the leader to
focus on serving the needs of the team and each individual team member.
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Effectively leading work groups
Leadership is a process that is ultimately concerned with fostering change. In contrast to the notion
of management, which suggests preservation or maintenance, leadership implies a
process where there is movement from wherever we are now to some future place or condition
that is different.
Leadership also implies intentionality, in the sense that the implied change is not random
change for changes sake but is rather directed toward some future end or condition which is
desired or valued. Accordingly, leadership is a purposive process which is inherently value-based.
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Consistent with the notion that leadership is concerned with change, we view the leader basically
as a change agent, i. e., one who fosters change. Leaders, then, are not necessarily those who
merely hold formal leadership positions; on the contrary, all people are potential
leaders.
Furthermore, since the concepts of leadership and leader imply that there are other people
involved, leadership is, by definition, a collective or group process.
In short, our conception of leadership comprises the following basic assumptions:
Leadership is concerned with fostering change
Leadership is inherently value-based
All people are potential leaders
Leadership is a group process
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In the broadest sense, we see the purposes of leadership as encompassing the following values:
To create a supportive environment where people can grow, thrive, and live in peace with
one another;
To promote harmony with nature and thereby provide sustainability for future generations
To create communities of reciprocal care and shared responsibility where every
person matters and each persons welfare and dignity is respected and supported
Leadership values are reflected, first and foremost, in the ends toward which any leadership effort is
directed: What are we trying to change and why? What is the nature and scope of the intended
change, and who will benefit?
The value ends of leadership should be to enhance equity, social justice, and the quality of life; to
expand access and opportunity; to encourage respect for difference and diversity; to strengthen
democracy, civic life, and civic responsibility; and to promote cultural enrichment,
creative expression, intellectual honesty, the advancement of knowledge, and personal freedom
coupled with social responsibility.
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