The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization
Genres: Business & Money
Book Preface
These are classic pictures of leadership: William Wallace leading the charge of his warriors against the army that would oppress his people and him. Winston Churchill defying the Nazi threat as much of Europe collapsed. Mahatma Gandhi leading the two-hundred-mile march to the sea to protest the Salt Act. Mary Kay Ash going off on her own to create a world-class organization. Martin Luther King Jr. standing before the Lincoln Memorial challenging the nation with his dream of reconciliation.
Each of these people was a great leader and impacted hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people. Yet these pictures can also be misleading. The reality is that 99 percent of all leadership occurs not from the top but from the middle of an organization. Usually, an organization has only one person who is the leader. So what do you do if you are not that one person?
Ninety-nine percent of all leadership occurs not from the top but from the middle of an organization.
I’ve taught leadership for nearly thirty years. And in just about every conference I’ve taught, someone has come up to me and said something such as, “I like what you teach about leadership, but I can’t apply it. I’m not the main leader. And the person I work under is, at best, average.”
Is that where you live? Are you working somewhere in the middle of your organization? You may not be a follower at the lowest level of the organization, but you’re not the top dog either—yet you still want to lead, to make things happen, to make a contribution.
You do not have to be held hostage to your circumstances or position. You do not have to be the CEO to lead effectively. And you can learn to make an impact through your leadership even if you report to someone who is not a good leader. What’s the secret? You learn to develop your influence from wherever you are in the organization by becoming a 360-Degree Leader. You learn to lead up, lead across, and lead down.
Not everyone understands what it means to influence others in every direction—those you work for, the people who are on the same level with you, and those who work for you. Some people are good at leading the members of their own team, but they seem to alienate the leaders in other departments of the organization. Other individuals excel at building a great relationship with their boss, but they have no influence with anyone below them in the organization. A few people can get along with just about anybody, but they never seem to get any work done. On the other hand, some people are productive, but they can’t get along with anybody. But 360-Degree Leaders are different. Only 360-Degree Leaders influence people at every level of the organization. By helping others, they help themselves.
At this point, you may be saying, “Leading in every direction—that’s easier said than done!” That’s true, but it’s not impossible. In fact, becoming a 360-Degree Leader is within the reach of anyone who possesses average or better leadership skills and is willing to work at it. So even if you would rate yourself as only a five or six on a scale of one to ten, you can improve your leadership and develop influence with the people all around you in an organization—and you can do it from anywhere in the organization.
Leading in all directions will require you to learn three different sets of leadership skills. You may already possess an intuitive sense of how well you lead up, across, and down. I want to help you make a more accurate assessment of those skills because it will help you to know how to direct your personal leadership growth. For that reason, I have arranged for purchasers of this book to be able to go to www.360DegreeLeader.com and take a free assessment of their 360-Degree Leadership skills. What’s offered is a simple, straightforward on-line questionnaire that will ask you to rate yourself on issues related to leadership in each of the three areas. The assessment will take only about fifteen minutes, and when you’re done, you will be able to download a lengthy report with your results.
If you look on the reverse side of the dust jacket of this book, you will find a personal identification code that can be used to access the assessment. If you are reading a paperback, international version of this book, you’ll find your code on the sticker inside the cover. Go to http://www.360DegreeLeader.com. Once there, follow the instructions and, when prompted, type in your personal identification code to take the test free of charge.
I recommend that you complete the assessment before reading the rest of the book. That way, you’ll know where your strengths and weaknesses are as you learn about each skill set. However, before we get into those, we need to address other issues, starting with seven myths believed by many people who lead from the middle of organizations. That is the subject of this first section of the book.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
SECTION I: THE MYTHS OF LEADING FROM THE MIDDLE OF AN ORGANIZATION
MYTH #1 The Position Myth: “I can’t lead if I am not at the top.”
MYTH #2 The Destination Myth: “When I get to the top, then I’ll learn to lead.”
MYTH #3 The Influence Myth: “If I were on top, then people would follow me.”
MYTH #4 The Inexperience Myth: “When I get to the top, I’ll be in control.”
MYTH #5 The Freedom Myth: “When I get to the top, I’ll no longer be limited.”
MYTH #6 The Potential Myth: “I can’t reach my potential if I’m not the top leader.”
MYTH #7 The All-or-Nothing Myth: “If I can’t get to the top, then I won’t try to lead.”
Section I Review
SECTION II: THE CHALLENGES 360-DEGREE LEADERS FACE
CHALLENGE #1 The Tension Challenge: The Pressure of Being Caught in the Middle
Challenge #2 The Frustration Challenge: Following an Ineffective Leader
Challenge #3 The Multi-Hat Challenge: One Head . . . Many Hats
Challenge #4 The Ego Challenge: You’re Often Hidden in the Middle
Challenge #5 The Fulfillment Challenge: Leaders Like the Front More Than the Middle
Challenge #6 The Vision Challenge: Championing the Vision Is More Difficult When You Didn’t Create It
Challenge #7 The Influence Challenge: Leading Others Beyond Your Position Is Not Easy
Section II Review
SECTION III: THE PRINCIPLES 360-DEGREE LEADERS PRACTICE TO LEAD UP
LEAD-UP PRINCIPLE #1 Lead Yourself Exceptionally Well
LEAD-UP PRINCIPLE #2 Lighten Your Leader’s Load
LEAD-UP PRINCIPLE #3 Be Willing to Do What Others Won’t
LEAD-UP PRINCIPLE #4 Do More Than Manage—Lead!
LEAD-UP PRINCIPLE #5 Invest in Relational Chemistry
LEAD-UP PRINCIPLE #6 Be Prepared Every Time You Take Your Leader’s Time
LEAD-UP PRINCIPLE #7 Know When to Push and When to Back Off
LEAD-UP PRINCIPLE #8 Become a Go-To Player
LEAD-UP PRINCIPLE #9 Be Better Tomorrow Than You Are Today
Section III Review
SECTION IV: THE PRINCIPLES 360-DEGREE LEADERS PRACTICE TO LEAD ACROSS
LEAD-ACROSS PRINCIPLE #1 Understand, Practice, and Complete the Leadership Loop
LEAD-ACROSS PRINCIPLE #2 Put Completing Fellow Leaders Ahead of Competing with Them
LEAD-ACROSS PRINCIPLE #3 Be a Friend
LEAD-ACROSS PRINCIPLE #4 Avoid Office Politics
LEAD-ACROSS PRINCIPLE #5 Expand Your Circle of Acquaintances
LEAD-ACROSS PRINCIPLE #6 Let the Best Idea Win
LEAD-ACROSS PRINCIPLE #7 Don’t Pretend You’re Perfect
Section IV Review
SECTION V: THE PRINCIPLES 360-DEGREE LEADERS PRACTICE TO LEAD DOWN
LEAD-DOWN PRINCIPLE #1 Walk Slowly Through the Halls
LEAD-DOWN PRINCIPLE #2 See Everyone As a “10”
LEAD-DOWN PRINCIPLE #3 Develop Each Team Member as a Person
LEAD-DOWN PRINCIPLE #4 Place People in Their Strength Zones
LEAD-DOWN PRINCIPLE #5 Model the Behavior You Desire
LEAD-DOWN PRINCIPLE #6 Transfer the Vision
LEAD-DOWN PRINCIPLE #7 Reward for Results
Section V Review
SECTION VI: THE VALUE OF 360-DEGEE LEADERS
VALUE #1 A Leadership Team Is More Effective Than Just One Leader
VALUE #2 Leaders Are Needed at Every Level of the Organization
VALUE #3 Leading Successfully at One Level Is a Qualifier for Leading at the Next Level
VALUE #4 Good Leaders in the Middle Make Better Leaders at the Top
VALUE #5 360-Degree Leaders Possess Qualities Every Organization Needs
Section VI Review
SPECIAL SECTION: CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT UNLEASHES 360-DEGREE LEADERS
Notes
The 360-Degree Leader Workbook
About the Author
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