Leadership Lessons in Influence, Balance, and Decision-Making
Compelling, people-centric leaders must start with mastering concepts of influence, balance, and decision-making. This past month, I've been writing about the delicate interplay between power and persuasion, the art of managing competing priorities, the dangers of single-source information, and the importance of simplifying leadership to its core principles in order to influence others. Seasoned and new leaders alike can learn something from these blogs. Refine your approach and lead with greater clarity and confidence. Right this way.
Power or Persuasion?
In the realm of leadership, the balance between power and persuasion is crucial for success. Drawing lessons from historical figures like Dwight D. Eisenhower, we see that true influence stems from character and trustworthiness, enabling leaders to inspire rather than merely command. In today's intelligent workforce, embracing a persuasive approach is essential.
The Plate Spinning Leader
Leaders often juggle multiple tasks and people, but how do you maintain momentum without dropping any "spinning plates?" While we ought to strive for focus and simplicity (only a few plates spinning) this is not always possible. I use priority-setting as my guide. Under this approach, some plates will break, and that is ok. Thus, the skill of plate spinning. Keep reading to learn how to balance your spinning plates.
Don't Lead Based on Single-Source Information
I learned my lesson in the Army. Leaders must avoid the pitfalls of relying on single-source information when making critical decisions. Operating on incomplete data can lead to costly mistakes, such as this mission in which a rushed decision based on one informant's tip resulted in a wasted operation. To cultivate sound leadership, it’s essential to seek out multiple sources of information and encourage a culture of thoroughness among teams. Here's how...
Find and Deliver The Common Sense of the Subject
Simplicity in leadership is about eliminating the unnecessary and allowing the necessary to rise. It is our job as leaders to tease out the common sense of the subject and influence our people to achieve greatness. During my time commanding a brigade in the 101st Airborne Division in 2013, "investing in people" became my mantra. To get others to understand this, I used one of our most important pieces of equipment as an example. The M-240 automatic machine gun. We trained with it in the most difficult conditions and cared for it, nurtured it to ensure it was always at 100%. This was widely known in my organization. I challenged all my leaders, “If we believe that investing in our machine guns deserves our constant attention, then why don’t we use this same approach with our people?"
Ready to dig deeper?
Looking for even more leadership insights? Subscribe to Make It Personal! You’ll get exclusive content, leadership tips, and real-world advice delivered straight to your inbox 2x a week.
Are your employees disengaged?
Do you want to build a stronger, more motivated team? Claim this FREE eBook resource full of proven strategies for leading through empathy and intention.