“Power”, what a word! The sheer mention of it stops you in your tracks and makes you revel in its influence and vastness. The dictionary defines it as the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. Therefore, it’s surreal to realize we ALL have POWER. You have power at your job, regardless of your title, to direct or influence behavior and the course of events… in your relationship, as a parent, and in all the roles we play. Some of us have been bestowed an actual title at work to represent our power: CEO, CHRO, COO, CFO, SVP, VP, Director, Manager, Supervisor, I could go on, but you get my point!
The truths about power are the same as those about money and success… Power is a magnifier; it simply magnifies who you already are! If you’re kind and generous… you’ll be kinder and more generous as a Leader with power. If you’re rude and stingy… you’ll be more disrespectful and hoard all of the goodies for yourself! For those with the professional titles I mentioned above, how do Lead your Power; positivity directing and influencing your People individually and as a Team?
P. – Pride!
Power in the right hands can be glorious, while power in the wrong hands can be all-out devastating. As a Leader, the first thing you must be aware of is your pride and what to do with it. These three questions helped me and may be impactful for you:
- What would you benefit from being more prideful about?
- What do you need to be less prideful about?
- Finally, where are you being too humble?
What would you benefit from being more prideful about? Too many new and seasoned leaders have more pride in their titles than their impact. When I was promoted to my first position of Leadership, I only accepted the promotion because it seemed like the next logical professional step. Like many of us, I went back to school, got the degree the promotion required, the promotion offered more money, and I received my new title of power. However, not one time did I ever think about running a Team, being good with coworkers, making decisions, influencing, impacting, protecting, and upholding high standards and expectations… not once!
Therefore, instead of being prideful regarding fancy titles, be prideful in the impact you get to make within and for your company, your Team, your clients/customers, and the people they touch. This is done by having pride and honoring your Leader’s 3!
Your Leader’s 3 is the non-sexy part of Leadership, but it’s your North Star; making your “Yes’s” powerful and your “No’s” meaningful! What is your Vision for your Team. It doesn’t have to match your company’s mission statement, but it could align. What are your Vision Factors, the 3-5 things that when you and your Team do them consistently, the Vision must come true? Do you know your Boss’s? If you have Leaders under you, do you know theirs?
What are your expectations for your Team? Mine are the 3P’s; everyone is Positive, Passionate, and Productive!
What are your Rules? You don’t need many, but you better have some and be willing to have difficult conversations… or you won’t be Leading for long!
What do you need to be less prideful about? Looking back, I remember the phase of life I was in during my first promotion… I was all about me! I just earned my Master’s Degree, got a new car, had more money, was good at being a Therapist… but post-promotion, doing therapy was no longer my job. My job became doing my People who were doing therapy, understanding their needs to make their job smoother, understanding the needs of my Leaders at headquarters, doing my new administrative tasks, not messing up the money, and maintaining relationships and connections internally and externally!
All of my pride was focused on being able to do my old job really well. Although helpful, it was a prideful mistake that limited my Leadership and will limit yours! Get clear on what your organization and Boss need most from you right now, your strengths and weaknesses, why your People show up daily and what they need most from you right now, and marry what you want to do with what they need most!
Where are you being too humble? Many people are raised to be humble, not to brag, to be quiet, and to do their jobs. The problem is, as a Leader, you can become so quiet that you disappear! You see it in sports, the athlete that scores and has no celebration and acts like they’ve done it before is the same athlete missing out on tons and tons of endorsement deals and losing in contract negotiations that have a long-lasting negative impact.
I’m not saying you need to spike the ball in the middle of the office every time you or your Team does something good. What I am saying is, the right people in your organization need to know about your efforts, your plans, and your wins! Connections matter, people talk, and you want the right people talking about you in the right way, in the right rooms. So, how to do it? Request 1-on-1 Meetings with your Direct Supervisor to:
- Update them on current projects, your Leader’s 3, the successes your Team has had (individually and collectively), concerns you have, and your suggestion solutions… always asking what they like about your plan and anything they’d fine-tune.
- Share your “Wins”
- Ask to know any upcoming organizational changes and how you may be of impact moving forward
- Ask for clarification regarding company goals, your department’s goals, and your professional goals.
These are the core ways to share your impact, express your desire/concerns, and connect with professionals who will talk about you positively in rooms you don’t have access to! Be Mindful, closed mouths don’t get fed, and never assume Higher-Ups can read your mind. Quiet hard work gets rewarded with more of the same hard work… for the same pay!
O. – Observe!
Power isn’t only taking care of yourself, it’s also taking care of others! To properly influence, impact, and protect those you’re Leading… we must be observant. Everyone on your Team is different and may need something different from you. Some need to be seen and noticed, some need their venting, rants, worries, and ideas to be heard. Some need to be coddled… I mean it, coddled! This is not meant to be negative. Some Employees are very anxious about why things in the company are happening, not happening, happening so fast, or so slow, what it all means, etc. Therefore, some of your People may simply need your presence, understanding, and reassurance. While others need a swift kick in the pants!
It’s funny who is who and who needs what, and you only figure it out by being observant and engaged! I still remember an old Coworker, I’ll name her Tina. She was an older woman who loved her job, was dependable, and a wonderful person. However, she could cry at the drop of a hat… over anything. When you first witness her crying, it was alarming. After a while of working together, one day she started crying and I looked at her and said, “Tina, knock it off.” Without skipping a beat, she said “Ok”, we finished our conversation, and off she went back to work like nothing ever happened. It became our thing; laughing about it each time and I still think fondly of it and about her to this day and forever!
W. – War!
Whether you’re in a Leadership Position at work or a Leader of your own life, in order to evolve professionally or personally, at some point, you will have to choose to go to war with some part of yourself!
Early in my professional career, I chose to go to war with my ego. I had a passion for Mental Health, connected easily with clients, and de-escalated crises easily. However, to evolve as a Leader, I chose to go to war with my ego and begin teaching what I knew and delegating responsibility… or else I would have gotten trapped doing that job forever. Later, while burning out of that same career, I choose to go to war with my apathy. I was drowning professionally and knew I was meant to help people, but no longer in the same way. Over the years, I’ve chosen to go to war with various parts of myself, my beliefs, my character, my habits, and sometimes clients and customers. While working in an Alternative School, a resident/student purposely pushed a pregnant staff member. A meeting ensued to discuss the student… during the meeting, the student slept on the office table, the parent attempted to blame the pregnant staff for being in the way, and my immediate supervisor began placating the parent. It was time for war!
Power isn’t always pretty or easy. As a Leader, it may mean going to war with Leaders above you to properly impact and protect those you lead. You know the Employee who has earned a raise, and the company is reluctant to give it. Will you use your power to protect and fight? You know which Employee is being shunned and not given appropriate opportunities, will you protect and fight? You know the client/customer who’s abusive to you and your staff, will you protect and fight? I could go on, but you get the point!
E. – Expectations!
Leading with Power is being clear on your non-negotiables; being sure your expectations aren’t taken as suggestions! Everyone on your Team must know your Vision, your Expectations, and your Rules… and we, as Leaders, must be willing to have the difficult conversations to protect the Communication, Connection, Culture, required to achieve optimum Results!
What’s your Expectation and your rules? Remember, the simpler the better… you can express more of what you mean by each statement later and in written documents (Employee Handbook). The goal is to make them so simple and clear that your People say them, repeat them, and train others with them when you’re not around!
R. – Responsible!
Real power is the ability to give all pats on the back away to your Team, while accepting 100% of the responsibility for issues and failures, and the professionalism to share the positive impact you and your plans have had on increasing revenue, saving revenue, and creating new revenue to “The Right Connections” within the organization; allowing you to earn your worth financially and professionally. Remember, as a Leader, you’re responsible for others… as well as yourself… Be Mindful!
What was your Biggest Takeaway from A Leader’s P.O.W.E.R.? What’s one thing you will implement into your daily or regular Leadership for yourself, your Team, or your organization?
“Whether you’re in a Leadership Position at work or a Leader of your own life, in order to evolve professionally or personally, at some point, you will have to choose to go to war with some part of yourself!” – Andre Young
Written by: Andre Young
Are you looking to impact your Organization, Leaders, Teams, and Employees with Leadership & Work/Life Harmony Trainings or a Speaker? Click www.youevolvingnow.com to connect, chat, and customize with Andre Young!
