Gaining and keeping the trust of those you lead is one of the top factors to your company’s ongoing success.
To work successfully as a team, the leader must create a culture where people can rely on the strengths and abilities of those they work with and believe in their leader’s direction and vision.
Do you ever find yourself sparring (perhaps with your boss) over something you know you’re right about? I sure have. Are there times when people around you just don’t see what’s really going on? This can be frustrating.
Guest post by Dr. Andrew L. Thorn
I recently participated in two very different but similar meetings. The focus of each of the meetings was exactly the same, but the complexity of each group was completely different.
In one group, the people embraced a very similar philosophy and mindset on the proposed topic. The other group was filled with people who represented very different perspectives, viewpoints and backgrounds.
I gained a lot from both experiences, but after a while, I became very bored with the similar group. They definitely had every viewpoint from A to B well represented, but beyond that, it was hard to find any value. Unfortunately, we didn’t make much progress in accomplishing our purpose.
The diverse group challenged my thinking. There were view points represented that were difficult for me to comprehend because they were so different than my own. The meeting participants were energetic and courteous. They were not afraid to have their views questioned or examined by the others. They were very open to learning from the other group members.
I thoroughly enjoyed the meeting with this diverse group and I left with a healthy appreciation and affection for each member. I never felt challenged to change my values, and as a result, I felt safe to open my mind to new ideas. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to examine the beliefs of others. Instead of judging them, I suspended my previous assumptions and allowed myself to see what they see. Because I was willing to extend this courtesy to them, they returned the favor to me.
I discovered that even though my values and opinions remained basically the same, my influence with my new friends increased. This dramatically affected our ability to work together. As a result, we made significant progress on our common interests.
My experiences with these two groups reminded me of something my brother Larry taught me. Whenever we disagreed, he would say, “if we were all the same, there would be no need for all of us”.
This statement continues to guide my work. I understand that I am most effective when I surround myself with people who think and act much differently than I do. My association with friends of different opinions creates many opportunities to stretch my way of thinking.
Great leaders do not fear the fringes or the edges. They recognize that by creating space for all voices to be heard, they become an authentic agent of change. Because their influence is felt, their leadership is more highly regarded. When the point of decision arrives, they are seen as credible and trustworthy.
Just because we learn to view things from a larger perspective does not mean that we must abandon our own values, it simply means that we learn to see what is going on in the complete system. When we do this, we create solutions that accelerate growth and development.
I realize that it is difficult to suspend our beloved biases and judgments, but it can be done without losing our individual identity, and a better solution almost always emerges when we do it. I invite you to consider the following questions:
How willing are you to consider viewpoints that are different from your own?
What benefits come from stretching to see the perspectives of others?
How do you feel when someone takes the time to see things as you see them?
Remember, the real point of leadership is not to change others, but to enroll them in a collaborative effort to achieve a common goal. You are free to draw the line in your personal values, most of us even expect you to do so and respect you when you do. When we become secure in who we are, we become more free about opening ourselves up to others, and that is when our effectiveness as a leader truly soars.
Dr. Andrew Thorn is the founder of Telios Corporation and creator of The Telios Experience™. He holdsa PhD in Consulting Psychology, a Masters in Personal and Executive Coaching, and a Masters in Business Administration from Pepperdine University. Dr. Thorn is also the author of U-wun-ge-lay-ma: A Guide to Next-level Living and the upcoming book Who Do You Want To Be When You Grow Whole? The Future of Meaning and Purpose. He lives in Apple Valley, California with his wife Stacy and seven children.
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The Product Management Perspective: One of the highpoints of being a product manger is working with a diverse group of people. From developers, to marketers to salespeople, to executives, we get to work closely with all of them. Sometimes they challenge us; sometimes they make life miserable. If we are open to new ideas and willing to learn from others, our products will be all the better. As Dr. Thorn says, “a better solution almost always emerges when we suspend our beloved biases.” Enroll your team in a collaborative effort to achieve great products.
Successful people are driven to increase their performance and expand their abilities. They understand the need to work hard in areas for which they have great passion.
Regardless of how many things you want to accomplish, you must focus on the most important and let other things — which in the right context may be very good things — go by the wayside. Tom Peters sheds an interesting perspective on focus with the following quote:
Leaders focus on the soft stuff — people, values, character, commitment, a cause. All of that was supposed to be too (indefinable) to count in business. Yet it’s the stuff that real leaders take care of first. That’s why leadership is an art, not a science.
What do you feel are the most important things you should focus on? Where is your time as a leader best spent? Please leave a comment and let’s have a conversation on how leaders can best focus their time and attention.
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The Product Management Perspective: For product managers, ‘focus’ can seem fleeting at times. More than just about any role at any company, product management requires interaction with and touches into every other department in the company. Focusing on deliverables can seem futile. However, to the extent you focus on the ‘soft stuff’ suggested by Mr. Peters, you will find your ability to complete your work will improve and will hasten. Working effectively with others leads them to trust you and to work harder and more effectively for your cause.
I’m out camping in the mountains this week, far away from the connected world, so I “pre-loaded” my blogging gun with a link to a great post.
Today’s links come from Art Petty at Management Excellence. Art recently wrote two powerful and popular posts about the “villains, thugs and hoodlums masquerading as leaders” and why they seem to prosper in some organizations. Take a few minutes to read Why Do Evil Leaders Flourish Inside Some Organizations? and then follow up with A Follow-Up to My “Evil Leaders” post: Your Firm’s Values Have No Teeth. Be sure to read the comments on both posts as well.
Which is more important: values or valuables? This, of course, is a personal question that only you can answer for yourself. In a recent episode of Live on Purpose Radio, Dr. Paul talks with Jake Carlson and Jon Gledhill about this key concept: it’s more important to pass values on to your posterity than to give them valuables. Too often passing on a large inheritance to your children and grand children causes unintended problems. It’s an engaging discussion that I highly recommend.
When it comes to leading a company, which is more important — values or valuables? Too often company executives focus on hitting the numbers for the next quarter and winning at any cost. The focus on near-term ‘valuables’ at the extent of long-term ‘values’ can prevent companies from reaching the success to which they are striving.
It’s obvious that values are not necessarily associated with long-term thinking, nor are valuables necessarily connected to the short-term. However, in life and in business, when you focus on values and apply their associated principles to every aspect, you tend to concentrate on more long-term consequences. You have to be patient, especially in difficult economic times. But the patience pays off in the long run.
What values are important to you? How does your organization place values before valuables? Please leave a comment and share your experience.
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The Product Management Perspective: As a product manager you need to focus on both values and valuables. Your values will determine how you interact with other teams and with customers; they will facilitate your leadership. The valuables are the products you (and your teams of course) produce. They are key to your company’s success. Focus on leading with values and creating valuable products.
Lead on Purpose 