Why is Influence without Authority so important - How to behave like a Leader?!
Let me be bold and clear from the beginning, having influence without having authority means being a true leader, everything else is just hierarchy management!
A true leader can have hierarchical power but is never dependent on it while a simple manager without any leadership qualities depends on the hierarchical powers given to him or her by the mighty organizational chart. But...what‘s the problem? People respond to hierarchical power, right? The good news is that some people do respond to them, the bad news is that your good and exceptional performers do not. They may accept a manager’s hierarchical powers as a temporary necessity but there will always be spillage.
Spillage comes in many forms:
Employees of a hierarchical manager do what’s formally required, hopefully at least, while the employees of a true leader go above and beyond
High potentials leave the team quickly, not only for opportunities or to work for a true leader, they even leave to work for a slightly better manager. Great people with more work and life experience leave as well over time.
Leaders, who have influence without authority, enjoy a fundamentally higher level of trust from their teams and there is true mutual care and concern
Now the big question is how to behave like a true leader who has influence without needing the authority of an organizational chart? There are a number of key leadership behaviors that manifest influence without authority. The bad news is that results do not happen over night but require repeated, consistent practice of the behaviors below, each of which is probably worth an explanatory article of its own. The good news is that these behaviors can be learned and practiced, some people may have more natural talent to get there but everyone can. Here is a list of eight behaviors to learn:
Trust first, then expect to be trusted. This is the fundamental difference of micromanagement and the importance of this behavior cannot be overstated.
Be absolutely predictable and transparent for your team and walk your talk. Always be open and clear about what you need and do what you say and say exactly what you do, on time and in full, after all that’s what you want from your team, right?! Confidentiality issues? Then avoid the topic and if asked then honestly say that you cannot talk about certain confidential matters.
Be your team’s guard, when trouble or pressure comes down from top-to-bottom it stops and filters at your desk. Some managers just pass pressure through, others even increase it, a true leader filters it and passes on some parts in a targeted and motivational manner while absorbing other parts. These other parts are called politics and leaders get paid to not distract their teams with it. Let us not get confused between challenges and pressures, it is still essential to challenge your team members and tickle their capability in order to bring their performance to the next level. That is true people development.
Truly engage, challenge and develop people and don’t ever underestimate the time and effort it takes to do that. Every company on the planet calls its people its most important resource but for most companies this sentence is just a waste of paper and ink. It’s about goals, development plans, reviews etc and much more than that. For example a true leader cares about and explores the personality behind the employee, has 1-1 conversations at least every other week and doesn’t focus every conversation on immediate work needs. A true leader also makes sure that team members have other mentors and coaches besides him or her and provides such a service to other teams.
Know your team members as much as they appreciate to be known. Some do not share anything personal, others do and when they do you should remember the key points. Good leaders are truly interested in the personalities and interests behind their team members and also share at least a little bit about themselves. This helps us to connect as real people, not just colleagues working for the same company.
A true leader focuses on the important things first instead of the urgent things because urgency always shifts and changes while important goals should be consistent in the long term and, as the name says, more important. In a mediocre manager’s world, the urgent eats the important.
A true leader behaves charismatically and yes, also this can be learned
Last but not least, while a true leader always sets the highest standard of a behavioral example, he or she must embrace the hiring of people who are fundamentally better at certain tasks than the leader. A true leader should be excited to hire people with a higher IQ instead of feeling threatened by them
The eight behaviors above are essential to becoming a true leader who has influence without authority. However there is of course much more to building a high performing team as results are a function of behaviors, organizational set-up and continuous improvement as well as strategy, tactics and execution rigor. Behaviors can be practiced by everyone, so let’s get started today and become better leaders who have true organizational influence without the need for authority and hierarchy. Please feel free to add to this list in the comment, no one has all the ideas alone, thank you for spending time on my page!