Hello there, leadership community! This week, we're diving into the heart of leadership. We'll explore how to cultivate a thriving community of leaders within your organization. So, buckle up and get ready for some exciting insights!
Cultivating Leadership Trust
Leadership isn't about titles, it's about the trust given to someone from others. In John Maxwell's book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, he talks about "The Law of E.F. Hutton." If you are a Gen Xer or a Boomer, you probably remember the commercials where a person was whispering some financial advice by say, "E.F. Hutton says..." and then giving the advice. In the commercial, the moment E.F. Hutton was mentioned, everyone leaned in to hear what was being said. The basic premise is that when a real leader speaks, people will listen because they trust what they are saying. You start to see who the actual influencer is based on who people listen to.
Based on the actions we have taken, people learn whether our results can be trusted. When we take the kind of actions that consistently make things more successful, as well as better, for the organization, people let down their guard and turn up their attention.
John Maxwell explains it here:
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Promoting Collaboration
Leadership thrives in a collaborative environment. Encourage team members to share ideas and work together on projects. This not only enhances creativity but also builds a sense of community. The number one killer of collaboration is groupthink. Groupthink exists when a strong and intimidating leader reacts to people disagreeing with them. When you are in a team meeting and are intimidated to speak up because you know a person will react strongly to what you say, this can set you up for this phenomenon. If you hold back disagreeing in the group, but you are willing to talk with individuals from the group about what your true feelings were after the meeting, your team is suffering from group think. In our Leadership Collaborative program, we teach people how to both address and overcome groupthink. Building a base of trust is the start, but using specific frameworks to gain full meeting engagement will enhance the business decisions made. Your success as an organization depends on your ability to manage group dynamics effectively.
How do you promote collaboration in your team? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
Continuous Learning
Leaders are learners. Encourage continuous learning in your organization. This could be through training, workshops, or even book clubs. We have worked hard to provide easy-to-use frameworks that will keep the team on track to become the best it can be. One of the ways to simplify this is through micro-learning. Through our Leadership Collaborative, we have developed five-minute lessons with discussion questions so the team can grow and learn each week together. A team that follows a leader demonstrating continuous learning is significantly more likely to invest in their growth as well. If you are like me, I learned most of what I know about business and life, for that matter, after I completed my formal education. Don't get me wrong. I loved my education and got a lot from it. As my college advisor, Dr. June Smith, said, "College is here to teach to learn and get you to fall in love with learning." This is important because you will be required to learn as long as you desire to move your life and your career forward. When you stop learning, you stop enhancing the value you offer to the people around you.
What learning opportunities do you provide in your organization? Share your ideas and inspire others!
Keep leading, keep growing, and remember that every step you take toward fostering leadership within your organization is a step toward success. Until next time, Jody Holland, M.S. Psychology
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