What can you do through critical personal leadership behaviors and managing relationships to make your workplace better, even when the odds appear stacked against you?
This question was an off-shoot from a recent conversation with a senior, but newly-placed, leader in a major corporation. Shortly after starting a new position, this individual was being routinely thrust into the middle of pre-existing, passive-aggressive political battles which have turned nasty through a shifting power structure.
Yuck. Been there, done that.
The conversation prompted me to think about advice on managing relationships I could offer based on having had to deal with comparable situations in the past. The advice falls into three categories:
- Displaying critical personal leadership behaviors
- Having a dramatic impact managing relationships with and through your boss
- Managing a corporate sociopath (pdf link) to neutralize the individual's negative impact
The next three days, we'll tackle these topics about managing relationships.
11 Personal Leadership Ideas
Today's post includes ideas on things you can do to make sure you're performing well on critical personal leadership behaviors. Self-assess your performance and work on improving where you're coming up short:
- Always act with honesty & integrity. While you're at it, look around - you’ll be judged by the company you keep. Are you comfortable with what that judgment will be?
- Recognize the role emotions play in business (it's bigger than you might think), but place a premium on facts & logic. They’ll win out eventually. Are you a fact-based leader?
- It's vital to figure out your purpose & priorities, but you also have to be open to modifying them at some point, too. Do you know and embrace what really matters?
- Continually challenge yourself to grow and expand by seeking out and listening to varied points of view - even ones you disagree with completely. How varied is the group you reach out to for perspectives?
- Be distinctive. Give people lots of people lots of good things to remember you by. Is it clear to those in your organization where you're adding distinctive value?
- When you meet someone, along with remembering their name and asking them questions about themselves, identify one or two ways you can help them. How many people are on your current "helping them" list?
- Shut up and listen for a minute - you hardly ever learn while you’re talking. Are you known as a listener?
- Learn how to communicate your ideas in multiple ways so you can be ready to share them in the forms your audience is willing to hear them. Is your communication repertoire multi-dimensional?
- Make sure you try lots of things because no one thing will work in every situation. When something doesn't work, acknowledge it and learn everything you can to get better next time. Do you have lots of possibilities underway?
- Constructively challenge ideas to find what’s “right,” realizing not everyone has the same definition of "right." Are you known for a level of tact that allows you to push hard without people even realizing it?
- Bring intensity to what you do along with passion. And work your butt off. Well?
What personal leadership ideas would you add to the list that you use in managing personal relationships?
Tomorrow, ideas for creating a stronger team with your boss. - Mike Brown
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