Right Fit Leading

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Right Fit Leading: Leader-member exchange is key

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LMX theory can help in creating effective relationships with your team. LMX is leader-member exchange and it tells us that even in a team situation, leaders who master individual relationships build trust and support. LMX theory is a relationship-based approach to leadership with a central concept focusing on the processes that occur when leaders and followers benefit from mature relationships or partnerships, generating incremental influence for the leader (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995, p. 225). The relationship should be based on at least two fundamental things: treating people like people and setting specific expectations. Treating people like people requires that the leader keep the employee’s personal goals and dignity in mind. Setting specific expectations empowers people for success. Once you have done that, simply hold people accountable. In this way you give them freedom to work the activities they are charged with. Relationships based on proper treatment and shared understanding of expectations give the leader a structured way to provide support when there are issues. It also gives the leader chances to offer praise and encouragement when employees are doing the right things right. Accountability is not easy, but it can work with shared commitment to the mission. Graen, G. B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective. The Leadership Quarterly, 6(2), 219-247. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/1048-9843(95)90036-5 NOTE: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

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Right Fit Leading: Telework, Trust, and Performance

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My new research effort examines the social and technical factors leaders must address when resorting to telework or other distancing situations created by a crisis such as COVID-19. I am interested in the tradeoffs that come into play in terms of performance, productivity, attentiveness, and trustworthiness to ensure goal achievement and accountability. Organizations may benefit from a fresh set of rules generated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but what about employees? Would the existence of a national strategy address implications for everyday situations that needed attention even before the pandemic? Are there benchmarking discoveries available from companies that have found success? Are the voices and situations of workers being heard or addressed? These are questions that deserve answers. Finding answers would provide opportunities to improve teleworking for employers and employees alike. Answers could serve to create trust in teleworking and could improve performance, accountability, effectiveness, and efficiency for all involved. My work examines the need for and existence of a shared understanding where leaders and employees openly discuss the challenges telework presents. The project also asks whether there are impediments or obstacles that organizations could remove or reduce to enable employees to accomplish the same amount of work they are currently doing in the office, but in a shorter duration of time while telecommuting. I am interested in collecting teleworking experiences both from an employer and an employee point of view. I invite anyone to share thoughts in this space. Anyone interested in providing in-depth information in this area of inquiry for analysis and discovery can please e-mail me at drbrown.rfc.llc@gmail.com. I am willing to use inputs anonymously or to provide credit as appropriate. I look forward to the discussions and discovery.

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Right Fit Leading: Collaborate BEFORE You Implement

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Use collaboration when setting the “next” plan that will bring organizational success. Leaders are often excited to create their grand plan either when they find that “best new way” or when they take over a new job and set out to improve things. In both cases, leaders expect their team to be just as excited about this new plan as they are. The same leaders may find disappointment when their team does not respond positively to the plan. If your people do not understand your plan because you have not adequately explained the purpose and procedures, they will probably be slow to jump for joy. More important, if the team has reservations and you have already set the new plan in motion, you may meet with strong emotions against this new initiative. You may encounter big problems if you do not socialize the plan with your team before implementing. I am not saying that the leader must get approval of the plan from subordinates and colleagues. I am not saying the leader must achieve buy-in before the plan can work. What I am saying is that collaboration as the plan is developed allows the change to be built in, not bolted on. When people are given the opportunity to build the plan along the way they are far more interested and motivated to see it through to success. The collaborative approach works because it keeps everyone on the same page and it identifies challenges along the way. This is about team. How do you implement new plans?

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Thoughts from a Coach

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The late Vince Lombardi, hall of fame Green Bay Packers football coach, said, “Coaches who can outline plays on a blackboard are a dime a dozen.  The ones who win get inside their player and motivate.” Many of us are neither coaching nor playing sports right now, so I have had plenty of time to reflect on coaching.  Any thoughts I have on coaching are always fueled by how to motivate myself and my players to success. A good motivator helps by developing a shared understanding of the task at hand.  That is followed by demonstrating to those you want to motivate that they may not always be judged simply by winning and losing, because not everyone wins.  Show them that they are judged by the quality of each hour they spend accomplishing tasks.  Show them that their efforts tie directly to the benefits they will derive from participation. In return, these motivated people will decide what they want and then direct all their efforts on getting it.

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Right Fit Leading: Empowering Employees

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The best way for leaders to address employee needs is to create a network inside the team where members can interact.  Ensure that each member understands their value to the organization\’s bottom line. Then make them accountable for group activities and ensure they accept administrative responsibilities.  Work with group members to offer growth opportunities in an effort to create behavioral changes or adjustments that improve performance.  If team members struggle with or reject the opportunities, leaders should conduct interviews or counseling sessions in an attempt to find the reasons for rejection of the task or hesitation to adjust to group norms and values. The leadership path to success is improved by empowering group members.  Leaders should not limit employees by treating them as if they are just task driven. Group members can be more productive if and when they view themselves as part of the decision process. Make them feel like they are facilitators, conveners, and brokers who engage a variety to talents to accomplish the goal. When group members accept this level of responsibility for the outcome, clearly assigned responsibilities, structured information flow, and measurable performance goals are easily accepted as well.  The combination of empowerment and collaboration can deliver a far great value proposition than would be possible without these characteristics.

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Right Fit Leading: Power Networking

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I am part of some great networks, and I am fortunate that some incredible leaders include me in theirs. One such leader is @jeanninebennett, CEO of Vision to Purpose. Let me tell you why. One of my recent posts was about effective leadership requiring that we see a path to our goal, understand the journey, and give 100 percent to the effort. Networking is just as important for leaders and for those who wish to lead. Jeannine and I have frequent conversations about work and life relating to the creative endeavors we enjoy. The benefits of such networking include, but are not limited to: This kind of networking allows Jeannine and I to embrace innovation and dreams as we experience the world around us. More importantly, we give each other open and honest dialogue to understand limits and determine risks. Networking in this way is invaluable. Do you have this kind of value in your network? Keywords: Leadership, leader, networks, networking, dialogue, risk, value

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Right Fit Leading: EI in the Workplace

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I had a great time November 10 talking about Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace in a Lunch and Learn Event for Canon Virginia, Inc., Newport News, Va. I presented a webinar to discuss the best ways to improve your team with EI. EI is the ability to sense, understand, and effectively apply the power and acumen of emotions as a source of human energy, information, trust, creativity, and influence. EI has five key components: self-awareness, self-regulation, social skill, empathy, and motivation. I am always willing to talk about EI. You can view a sample of the briefing here.

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Right Fit Leading: More on Motivationally Intelligent Leadership

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I have already posted about emotional intelligence (EI), as have many experts in various fields of endeavor. I have also recently discussed how engaged interaction and EI combine to foster success. Engaged interaction employs flexible, full-range communications to ensure that all parties listen, hear, and understand, and that all parties continue the interaction until shared understanding is achieved. Success in these areas can deliver career success, helping leaders and teams build a collaborative culture, emphasize everyone’s strengths, and work to improve weaknesses.  Now I wish to share with you motivationally intelligent leadership, which starts with emotional intelligence. This helps leaders learn and master six leadership styles: coercive, authoritative, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting, and coaching according to experts in this area. Paying attention to your and to the emotions of others can save time by directing energies more effectively and by expanding opportunities throughout the organization. Teams can employ strategic flexibility to drive intentional changes and adapt to environmental influences. Strategic flexibility is changing the message in response to internal and external influences to increase the chances that the message will achieve its desired result. There are several steps: (1) Assess the situation; (2) Evaluate the communication environment; (3) Use various skills (tone of voice, gestures, expressions, body language, etc.); (4) Be creative; (5) Don’t be afraid to adapt or change; and (6) Reassess and reevaluate.

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