The Principles 360° Leaders Practice to Lead Across
By John C. Maxwell
"Follow me, I'll walk with you"
What distinguishes a merely competent leader from one who goes to the next level?
To make it to the next level of leadership, a leader must be able to lead other leaders - not just those below them, but also those above and alongside them. To succeed as a leader who leads peer-to-peer, you have to work at giving your colleagues reasons to respect and follow you.
How do you do that? By helping your peers win, your organisation win and yourself.
Lead-Across Principle #3: BE A FRIEND
We often consider ourselves to be many things to the people who work alongside us - but we may forget to be one thing that every person wants: a friend.
1. Listen!
The entire process begins with listening... Ralph Nichols said "The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood."
2. Find Common Ground Not Related to Work
Unfortunately, for many people who work together, that's all they seem to have in common... Frank Clark said "To enjoy a friend, I need more in common in him than hating the same people."
3. Be Available Beyond Business Hours
True friendship means being available... If you won't do anything outside working hours, then your relationship will probably never evolve beyond the confines of the work arena.
4. Have a Sense of Humour
It's often found that humour can quickly bond people who might not otherwise have a lot in common... Victor Borge said "Laughter is the closest distance between two people"
5. Tell the Truth When Others Don't
Your best friend is the one who brings out the best within you. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your friend is to tell them the truth. Not everybody is willing to do that, because they don't want to risk the relationship... An Eastern Proverb says, "A friend is one that warns you"
Lead-Across Principle #4: AVOID OFFICE POLITICS
"Playing politics" is perhaps changing your normal self to gain an advantage with whoever currently has power. In work environment, it may mean to suck up to the boss, constantly changing positions to get to the winning side, or using people for personal gain without regard for how it affects them. Political people are fickle and opportunistic, doing what is expedient in the moment to win, regardless of what's best for their peers, employees or organisation.
Two Ways to Get Ahead
People Who Rely On PRODUCTION
~ Depend on how they grow
~ Focus on what they do
~ Become better than they appear
~ Provide substance
~ Do what's necessary
~ Work to control their own destiny
~ Grow into the next level
~ Base decisions on principles
People Who Rely On POLITICS
~ Depend on who they know
~ Focus on what they say
~ Appear better than they appear
~ Take shortcuts
~ Do what's popular
~ Let others control their destiny
~ Hope to be given the next level
~ Base decisions on opinions
When "political people" progresses with their desire to advance, they sometimes appear to get ahead, but their gains are always temporary. In the long run, integrity, consistency and productivity still pays off - in better teamwork and most importantly, a clear conscience.
If you have played office politics in the past, perhaps you saw others do it and you thought that was what you had to do to advance in your career. Or maybe you did not have confidence in yourself because you weren't growing, and your skills were not advancing. You may not have done it maliciously, but for whatever the reason, if you have played office politics, you can be certain that you have betrayed the trust of some of your coworkers. And you will probably have to go to those people to apologise and seek reconcillation. That may be hard, but if you desire to lead across, you will need to do it to regain credibility from your peers.
To avoid difficulties in getting entangled in office political web, here are some tips:
1. Avoid Gossip
It's been said that great people talk about ideas, average people talk about themselves, and small people talk about others. That's what gossip does. It makes people small. There is really no upside to gossip. It diminishes everyone, including the listener.
2. Stay Away From Petty Arguments
In work environments, there are always past grudges, on-going feuds and petty arguments that run like currents through the organization. Wise leaders in the middle of the organization avoid getting sucked into these currents, even if they think they can resolve them. As the saying goes, a bulldog can beat a skunk in a fight anytime, but he knows it's just not worth it. That's the right attitude.
3. Stand Up For What's Right, Not Just What's Popular
While wise leaders often sit back and listen, they must also stand up for what's right, even when such a stand is unpopular. Use the Golden Rule ~ "In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you." When someone is being treated in a way that you would not want to be treated, then it's time to stand up.
4. Look At All Sides Of The Issue
Before you have an argument with your boss, take a good look at both sides - his side and the outside.
5. Don't Protect Your Turf
Politics is often about power. Political leader protect whatever is theirs for the fear of losing power. They fight for their budget. They fight for office space. They guard their ideas. They hoard their supplies. If it belongs to them, they protect it. People who want to lead across should take a broader view. They look at what's the best for the team. If they have to give up some space to help the organization, they do it. If it makes more sense for another leader to accomplish a task that they have done in the past - and if some dollars from their budget goes to that leader - they deal with it. What matters is the team.
6. Say What You Mean, And Mean What You Say
Leadership is about building trust with people. When asked what he considers as the most essential qualification as a politician, Winston Churchill said "It's the ability to foretell what will happen tomorrow, next month and next year - and to explain afterward why it did not happen." If you want to develop trust with others, you must be more than competent. You must also be credible and consistent. The way to achieve those qualities is to make sure that what you say, what you do, and what you say you do all match. If you do that, the people who work with you will know they can depend on you.
