Shh... Excellent Leadership in Progress

BY Mike Foti

You need to be "out-front" to lead.
Commanding leaders are powerful leaders.
You've got to be more charismatic to lead at the next level.

Are these statements myths or reality? You may think I'm copping out, but the answer is both. Commanding leadership can be effective - especially in crisis situations - like when the building is on fire. "Out-front" leaders can be a key to galvanizing success (consider Mayor Rudolph Giuliani during 9/11 crisis). Charisma can be an effective tool when influence without authority is critical.

Do you have to have a powerful, out-front, and charismatic style to be successful? In short - NO! Leadership effectiveness encompasses many factors -but perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of leadership is "quiet leadership" - the ability to reflect, listen, learn, and walk your talk.

Leadership, simply defined, is the ability to get results through others. You don't have to be a motivational speaker to be an effective leader (yes - this is coming from a guy who makes money speaking to groups!) - but you do have to get results! If you aren't the motivational rah-rah guru (or even if you are) how can you broaden your skills to increase your quiet effectiveness?

Three Steps to "Quiet Leadership" Effectiveness

Step 1: Stop & Reflect

In today's world speed and work are synonymous. But is speed the best way to maximize results? Does busyness = effectiveness? It does not. Stopping and reflecting can actually be a key to speeding results. Here are some questions to ask yourself?

• Vision - Where are we headed? - Vision creates hope, hope creates motivation, motivation creates results. Are you reflecting on the trends in the market and how to leverage them? Could you focus more on your core to create additional cash and profit? Are you thinking not only about how things are, but more importantly how things could be? Can you use a symbol, a metaphor to quietly and consistently communicate this direction to others (example - metaphor in my glass block business - we are looking to move from being a "big fish in a small pond" to a "larger fish in an ocean" - i.e. our vision is to grow through new products sold to our existing customers)?
• Creativity - Am I focusing on a single problem or opportunity? Can you be creative in the middle of the operational meat-grinder you call your business? To improve quiet effectiveness - Get out! Leave your office and focus for at least 60 minutes on one single challenge and brainstorm possible solutions. Read "Creativity Under the Gun" by Teresa Amabile, Constance Hadley, and Steven Kramer to understand how quiet reflection and effectiveness are directly related.
• Tough Calls - Am I deciding and delivering? - Leaders are paid to decide - to make the tough decisions that usually impact people and money. Do you flip out first and ask questions later? Or worse yet - has "don't rock-the-boat-itis" set in, so you put off until until tomorrow what is begging to be done today? Quietly effective leaders reflect and consciously use a process to not only make decisions, but to test that decision against their values. Do you have a decision making process? Are your decisions driven on "keeping the peace" or are you delivering on your internal truth? To develop a sharper decision-making process read "Yes or No" by Spencer Johnson.

Step 2: Learn, Listen, and Get "Lean-in"

You've probably heard the saying, "You were born with two ears and one mouth for a reason." It's impossible to learn, grow, and lead if you're doing all the talking. How can you deepen your learning, listening, and quietly capture more attention?

• Go Deep and Go Broad - With information doubling every 18 months you can't pretend to know it all. Determine where you want to position yourself as an expert. In this niche become a voracious learner. Use a mix of books, periodicals, and one-to-one conversations with experts to "go deep" in your learning. Then "go broad" to get a wider perspective by reading publications such as the New York Times or going to events and functions that push you outside the comfort zone of your current connections. To get "learning return" you must take "learning risks".
• Question well - listen intently - Managers provide answers, but leaders ask questions challenging employees to come up with their own innovative solutions. What questions concern you about your organization? Throw them out to your team - see what happens. When people come to you for answers use the technique of reversing by saying, " I don't know…what do you think?" Don't let others off the hook from using their own minds. As a leader check challenge yourself to open to seemingly off the wall ideas. Innovative breakthroughs often look weird at first. Quiet listening requires opening both your ears and your mind.
• For "Buy-in" - Get "Lean-in" - Have you ever noticed when someone talks softly you have to lean in to hear them? When saying something important (delivering the key message, strategy, challenge) professional communicators say it softer or slow it down with a pause for effect. Remember a sense of calm and focus creates confidence. Can you get buy-in with lean-in?

Step 3: Walking with Others

To slightly paraphrase the words of Martin Luther King Jr. -people spend much less time evaluating "the color of your words than they do the content of your character." Do your words ring hollow - or do you really walk your talk. Do you truly value others by providing help and resources and asking for help? Quiet leaders know how to walk, how to mentor, and how to get help. Here is how you can step up your game:

• Watch Your Steps - We judge others by what they do - we judge ourselves by what we intend to do. What have you promised you will do? Are you delivering? Do you feel convinced of your ability to deliver? Do you need a coach to hold you accountable and increase performance?
• Give help and Get help - To achieve mucho you need to stop being macho (yes- this applies to women also). Great results happen when you work with others - not when they work for you. Paradoxically, when you make yourself vulnerable to the talents and skills of others is when you are positioned to blow the lid off your growth opportunities. Are you sharing the excitement? Are you asking for help from others? Are you providing the resources they need?

Conclusion

Leadership is a multi-faceted group of skills that fortunately can be grown with practice. Is it advantageous to be comfortable being "out front," commanding, and charismatic. Sure it is, but there is tremendous untapped power available in "quiet leadership." Can you afford to take the time to stop and reflect, to listen and learn, to walk with others to achieve success? Maybe, more importantly, can you afford not to?

If you would like to have Mike speak to your group consider the following programs:
"Growing Leadership"
"Unleashing the Hidden Tools of Effective Leadership"

If you want to get Mike's insights on this topic in one on one sessions click here.

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Mike Foti is Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland Glass Block (a Northcoast 99 recipient for best employers in Northeast Ohio and a Community Pillar Award winner for community service) and President of Leadership Builders. Mike is a national speaker, writer, and consultant who helps individuals and companies get results through people. To ask Mike how he might help you, or to receive his free tips and leadership articles, call 216-531-6085 or visit his web site at www.leadershipbuilders.com.