by Paul N Larsen | Feb 20, 2017 | Find Your Voice
When people take on leadership roles, they rarely suffer from a lack of examples. Some good, some bad but all of them pictures of what it could mean to be a leader. It is easy for new leaders to pick their favorite role models and try to emulate their leadership style. But doing so is nearly always a mistake.
The best leaders lead from place of authenticity. Far too many leaders fail to have the impact and influence they desire because they are mimicking another leader’s voice and modeling another leader’s style.
Fred Rogers—better known as “Mr. Rogers”—helped shape the national conversation about early childhood education as, with his gentle voice and spirit, he welcomed generations of children to his “neighborhood.” In contrast, Winston Churchill was a stern and decisive leader who led the British people to stand against the tyranny of Hitler and the Nazis. As Rogers and Churchill each led in their respective professions, they did so from a place of absolute authenticity. And, as a result, others followed.
As I have partnered with leaders across all industries and within all types of organizations, I’ve found that many organizations operate with one unofficial acceptable style of leadership. Leaders learn quickly that to succeed is to “go with the flow” and not make any waves. The resulting impact of the politics and structures of organizations is that the creative talents—or voices—of leaders are stifled into a normative, or expected, pattern of behavior. As a result, the creativity, intelligence and passion of nonconforming leaders are stifled. And the organizations they serve suffer.
So what is the solution? Where do you start? I believe it all starts with finding your voice as a leader.
Finding your voice as a leader is the difference between becoming a bland bureaucrat and becoming a dynamic, influential role model. As a leader, what is your purpose, what is your legacy, what is your VOICE?
To find your voice as a leader is to create a compelling and unique leadership brand by:
- Identifying Your Values – We are all governed by a set of values that act as our “inner GPS.” Our values govern our decisions, our judgments, our communication and our overall worldview. They shape who we are. Leaders who identify their core set of values and lead out front with their values are more confident, more courageous and more influential versus leaders who do not. Values are more than just a “set of words on a laminated card;” they are the core DNA of every leader and are the ingredients of the legacy each leader leaves behind.
- Establishing Your Outcomes – Establishing concrete outcomes that are critical for your success is necessary for making your vision a reality. Creating outcomes means translating your vision into strategies and then into clear, actionable tactics. Well-defined outcomes align activity to purpose. And building a road map to success ensures the journey there is one worth taking.
- Discovering Your Communities Of Influence – Effective leadership is inexorably linked to influence. The ability to establish trusting and credible influential relationships with management, colleagues and peers who do not need to follow your direction is critical to your success as a leader. Building a brand of leadership based on your capability to influence your community sets any leader apart from their peer group.
- Demonstrating Your Courage – To grow and develop as humans, we need to be able to take some small (or large) steps out of our comfort zone. Not stepping out of our comfort zone breeds mediocrity and allows us to “stay safe,” which in turn can keep us in a rut. Being courageous is to first recognize your comfort zone and then, with a clear vision in mind, take the necessary steps out of that comfort zone to try out a new behavior, a new skill or a new worldview.
- Creating A Lasting Expression – Expression translates your vision beyond yourself. Expression creates followers, persuading others to contribute their talents and capabilities. Your expression is the culmination of finding, creating and using your VOICE to make a difference in your career and your life.
Start building your legacy as a leader by voicing your confidence, courage, and commitment. Life is too short to not use your VOICE.
by Paul N Larsen | Feb 20, 2017 | Find Your Voice
Each day, leaders can seize the opportunity to take deliberate steps which will create and expand their brand. As an executive coach, I am honored to partner with senior leaders as they take advantage of their potential to purposefully influence a desired and specific outcome for each of their interactions.
One resource I have created to facilitate this process is the “4STAND” Model of Expression:
Think about this: Within the “laboratory” that is today’s organization, a leader has incredible opportunities during each day to determine how best to use their “voice.” Do they need to:
STAND-Up,
or
STAND-Alone,
or
STAND-Together
or
STAND-Aside?
The “4STAND” Model is simple in its meaning and its execution. In any given situation, whether a planned All-Hands Meeting or a spontaneous one-on-one exchange, a leader may opt to use 1, 2, 3 or all 4 of these actions. The key is to be very deliberate in deciding what “Stand” to take given their purpose and outcome for the activity or engagement and to align their leadership style and behavior to match their chosen “Stand.”
For example, Standing-Up involves communicating your outlook in a succinct and impactful method and that is heard by your community. Standing-Alone is when you need to make a decision and/or influence an opinion which may not be the most popular. Standing Together is coming to a mutual agreement and collaborating with your peers or team for the greater good. And Standing- Aside is when you need to finesse your ego…let others take credit…and perhaps just be supportive and quiet.
Leaders are usually comfortable using one or two of these ‘Stands” consistently and in order to continue to grow and develop, they should step out of their comfort zone and express themselves using the other “Stands.” With this self-awareness coupled with targeted performance coaching, a leader can maneuver seamlessly through the “4STANDS” creating their unique leadership brand and legacy.
So how can you use the “4STAND” Model of Expression within your organization and your life?
by Paul N Larsen | Feb 20, 2017 | Find Your Voice
An excerpt from my new leadership book: “Find Your VOICE as a Leader”
How many times have you heard a leader utter these words: “I have the best of intent”or “I had the best of intent”?
To be an effective leader, having the best of intent does not matter if it is not followed up by action. Action that is purposeful. Action that is aligned to an outcome…a vision. Thus, your intent as a leader needs to be measured by your outcomes as a leader. They go hand-in-hand. One with the other.
Leaders who have discovered and live their values, are in the perfect position to align their values with their intended outcomes….their vision. The key is consistently aligning your intentions as a leader with your desired outcomes. This is what I call your “I/O Scale.”
Your “I/O Scale” as a leader should always be in balance…it should be equalized…it should be integrated. All of your stated intentions should match your outcomes 1-for-1. Intentions are nothing but empty promises…void of any trust, credibility or accountability if not tagged with solid goals and outcomes to make your intentions a reality. It is your leadership vision in action.
But many of today’s leaders get stuck on their intent…and never move forward to action. These leaders stay in the “safe harbor” of their own “intention island” and have a fear of sailing forward towards a desired action. Your intent as an effective leader should always have an appended outcome that you paint for your followers. You need to bring them along.
Intentions without aligned outcomes will create missed expectations and an unrealized potential that can discount and dilute your leadership brand and legacy faster than anything else. The world is full of “leaders” who pontificate their intentions…but are short on follow-up. These leaders have an I/O Scale that is completely out of balance and will wonder why they are unable to engage with a community of trust and credibility. Don’t let that happen to you.
But intention is only the first step in effective leadership. We can have the desire to do the “right thing” but unless we act…unless we take that first step towards the outcomes we want, our intention quickly becomes our island…which is just a useless piece of barren land surrounded by the deep waters of fear and anxiety . So do all that you can to swim away from your “Intention Island.” And move towards action and results. Better yet, keep your I/O Scale in check and never get yourself marooned on the island in the first place!
Our goals can change. They should change. Our life changes. Organizations change. Things happen. Sometimes expected and many times un-expected. We need to be able to evolve, to bend, to be flexible. But we still need to keep our eyes on our targets, our goals, our outcomes. We still need to measure our progress towards our vision, otherwise we will never move off “Intention Island.”
Keeping your I/O Scale in balance enables you to keep track of your progress towards your desired end results, no matter the detours our lives may take. As you find your VOICE as a Leader, charting your outcomes aligned to your values is critical in moving from intent to action. Build your bridge…learn to swim…float on a raft…but don’t stay marooned on Intention Island like other leaders!
Finding your V-O-I-C-E as a leader means discovering your core Values; creating a compelling Vision to obtain the Outcomes you want; building relationships with Influence and credibility; making decisions that use your Courage to stand alone; and communicating your overall Expression for lasting impact. And always keep your I/O Ratio in balance.
Want more? Check-out my new book, Find Your VOICE As A Leader
by Paul N Larsen | Feb 20, 2017 | Find Your Voice
Influence. Persuade. Convince. Sway. Engage. Motivate. Your team. Your organization. Your community. Your relationships. Yourself.
How do you use your leadership voice to influence to get the outcomes you want? To get the results you desire? To make your vision come alive? To realize your purpose? What does being influential look like? How do you get people to follow you…to listen to you…to believe in you…to trust you?
“Leadership is influence.”
John C. Maxwell
Influence is not about your title: CEO. Manager. Parent. Owner. VP. Supervisor. You don’t need a title to influence. You need confidence in your ability to set a vision and rally your tribe around that vision.
Influence is not about speaking LOUDER or SHOUTING your opinions. That only makes you look weak…not persuasive. Many times, the people have the most influence are not the people in power. The successful influencers have a quiet voice which is used as an persuasive force not only for their needs but for the needs of others as well.
Becoming a captivating leader who can influence means having a calm yet strong and confident tone so that your impact is understood and respected.
If you’ve been following our series about Finding Your VOICE as a Leader, you know that defining your values and establishing your outcomes are essential parts of becoming an effective leader.
However, discovering your values while aligning your outcomes aren’t enough to Find Your VOICE as a Leader. You need to be able to inspire your team to achieve your vision. In other words, you need to develop and flex your persuasive muscle to engage your followers so that you are influential, not invisible.
How do you build your Influence?
Once you have identified your Values and created your Outcomes as a leader, how do you Influence and align yourself and your team to maximize your opportunities and garner the needed results? Recognizing and developing your spheres of influence is key to being successful in finding and using your leadership VOICE. To do this, you need to follow these steps:
- You need to cultivate a trustworthy network. Networking may be a catch-phrase from the 1980s, but the concept is as relevant today as it was thirty years ago. No one person has all of the answers or all of the ideas. The larger you build your community as a leader, the more opportunity you will have to influence and be influenced. In addition, becoming a successful influencer means that you focus on what can you influence versus what you cannot. In other words, you need to determine your “spheres of influence” so you can focus your values and your outcomes on what you can change what you can influence. Don’t waste your time and energy on things you cannot change. Understand the difference.
- You need to sell your ideas. Even the best ideas will languish if you’re the only one who supports them. A good leader needs to also be a good salesperson–to garner support from your peers, from your leaders, from your investors, from your clients, from team members and from your community. Although considerable effort goes into the creation of your leadership vision, the harder part may be selling and advocating your vision so that people get onboard because they want to get onboard…not because they have no choice. It’s not “telling”…it’s “selling.” So don’t shy away from being a salesperson…it’s a key role that leaders play to realize their vision and build their influence.
- You need to be self-aware. The best–and most effective–leaders know how to adjust their style to fit the diverse individuals and different types of teams they work with. To be successful in influencing your outcomes is to really believe in your values…your beliefs. How can you expect people to believe in what you say if you don’t really believe it yourself? How can you expect to influence people, if you are not clear on the values that influence you? Knowing who you are as a leader: your strengths, your weaknesses, your ethics, your judgments, your preferences, your reactions, your insights…provides you the mirror and reflection so that you establish trust, credibility and influence within all of your relationships…and not remain invisible. Let go of your ego.
By integrating the Emergenetics Profile into my executive coaching practice, I am able to guide leaders into greater insight and awareness of what is important to them in their life, and, thus, how creating their vision with aligned outcomes impact their leadership brand and create the vision they desire. Finding your VOICE as a leader does not mean shouting to make an impact…it means using the Emergenetics Profile to reveal your brilliance as a leader by:
- Discovering your critical leadership Values.
- Creating a compelling vision to obtain the Outcomes you need.
- Influencing your relationships with trust and credibility.
- Making decisions that reveal your Courage and confidence to take a stand.
- Communicating your overall Expression for lasting impact.
