According to the practice of intentionality, leadership is defined as intentional influence. See https://healthydealer.com/intentionality_model/
Great leaders do not force others to do things, rather they appeal to a person’s sense of purpose (plant a seed) and support them (water) as they pursue it—understanding that people do more of what they want to do than what they have to do.
Farmers understand this principle well: they create ideal soil conditions, plant seeds, water, and patiently nurture growth over time.
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Values cease to be values if they are negotiable. We refer to non-negotiable values as core values.
By definition, a [core] value, is something that we hold as more valuable than anything else, such as our principles. They come from our core and define who we are as people. They form our character, provide foundational boundaries, and regulate how we behave regardless of whether others are watching.
Values in business, together with shared vision, operate like glue to create a strong team bond. But to have that effect there must be clarity, of what the values are, and commitment to stay the course, regardless of the obstacles, hurdles, and temptations that inevitably come our way in any worthwhile endeavor.
When defining core values be careful not to include aspirational or permission-to-play values as core values. Rather, define them separately as aspirational or permission-to-play values so they can still have directional value.
Aspirational values are those that you would like to see as part of your future core; something you aspire to. But they are not core today if they are not evident in the way your team behaves today. To misstate aspirational values as core creates cynicism within the team and keeps them from committing to true core values because of how inauthentic it makes they organization and its leaders appear.
Also be careful not to include certain basic values like honesty, integrity, etc into your list of core values. These basic values are called permission-to-play values as they should be self evident in every organization and do not serve to differentiate the organization.
If you have not yet defined your core values commit to doing so in the next three to six months. Your team will benefit greatly from the clarity. It is not an exercise, however, that should be taken lightly. Often it is helpful to utilize the services of a culture specialist as they come from a neutral standpoint and can hold a team accountable to completing the task.
Defining core values will not only help in giving direction to your current team, but will help you in hiring the right people who share those same values and are committed to following them, thereby strengthening your culture.
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If talent is defined as our natural aptitude or skill, then natural best implies that our talent is applied for its optimal result.
Michael Jordan provides an excellent example of somebody functioning at their natural best when he was playing basketball. Not only was he a great athlete, but everybody, including Michael himself, recognized that athleticism alone was not enough – if it was then Michael would have been a great baseball player as well. Instead he was just a good baseball player, not a great one.
Not only do great leaders recognize talent in others (i.e. what a person could be, or is, good at), but great leaders help bring that talent to the surface, give that talent opportunity, and challenge individuals to work hard to apply that talent for the very best possible results. They also share the kind truth when they see a talent that is being wasted (unapplied) or focused in the wrong direction (misapplied).
Work is work, but it should not be hard work. When we are doing things that come naturally it does not feel like hard work, even though we may be working hard. Individuals come alive when they apply their talents, almost like self generating engines.
Great leaders recognize that when people are provided with a forum within which to exercise their talents they will drive themselves much harder than anybody else could. Hence, great leaders simply provide opportunity, encouragement, awareness, and accountability.
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Normally when we think of positivity we think of a positive mental environment, which was the subject of HERBISM #8. That kind of positivity is important, but the subject here is about a leader helping their people believe that something is [realistically] possible.
For example great leaders do not put forward goals they themselves don’t believe are achievable. Faced with unrealistic targets most people shut down rather than rise to the occasion.
This is also not just optimism. In fact, positivity is much more helpful than optimism. To demonstrate the point I am reminded of an interview I heard with a P.O.W. who survived many years in very difficult conditions as a prisoner of war. When asked what kinds of people are most likely to survive as P.O.W.s he answered, “positive realists.” He said that the optimists started by saying they would be rescued in a month. When that didn’t happen they said they would be rescued by Christmas. When that didn’t happen they said by Easter. They kept telling themselves a rescue was imminent, even though they had no basis for that perspective. He said the problem with optimism is that it is not rooted in reality and eventually people lose hope. The positive realists face the reality of their situation and choose to do positive things in spite of their situation. In other words, the positive realists make the best of their difficult situation.
Great leaders lead with positivity in five significant ways:
1. Put forward reasonable and realistic goals;
2. Help their people see the goals as possible;
3. Help their people take psychological ownership of the goals (i.e. buy-in);
4. Provide support and remove obstacles to progress;
5. Celebrate small wins and encourage the team along the journey.
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Great leaders do not force others to do things, rather they appeal to a person’s sense of purpose (plant a seed) and support them (water) as they pursue it—understanding that people do more of what they want to do than what they have to do.
Herb Mast is Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.
