Christian Whamond. Key Leadership. Executive coach
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Collaborative Leaders

1/11/2013

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Collaborative leadership is crucial for leading in uncertain and turbulent times. Leading in turbulent times requires a deliberate shift away from command-and-control towards a more collaborative style of leadership. When talking about leadership here, we’re referring to leadership as a verb and not a noun. We’re talking about leadership as the social process shared by all members of an enterprise. We’re not the person at the top of an enterprise’s organisational structure!

If you are considering making the shift towards a more collaborative leadership approach you may be asking yourself, “What are the practices that support collaborative leadership?” Good question. In this post we will briefly explore the 11 practices of collaborative leaders.

1. Passionate Purpose and Vision

Collaborative leaders create an environment where people can unite behind a common purpose, vision and set of values. Clear and compelling purpose, vision and values are essential. They unite people and provide guidance as to the goals and standards of behaviour. Passion begins with the leader, unless the leader is passionate and leads by example others will be reluctant to follow.

Having a purpose and vision is necessary, but it’s not sufficient. Vision and purpose must be supported by passion. Collaborative leaders have passion for a cause. It’s passion that drives people to initiate, to act and draws them into conversations about the best ways to create a new future. It’s passion that causes people to step up to a challenge, to take on ambitious responsibilities and accept risk. Seek out people who are passionate about the purpose and vision of the enterprise and help the participate in bringing the vision into reality.

2. Accept You’re Not in Control

The reality is a leader in never in control. Leaders are unable to command the commitment and passion required for success. People may comply when you’re around, but they only commit as the result of inspiring leadership and a meaningful cause. Moving towards collaborative leadership requires you moving away from the thinking that leadership is about control. Making the shift from “command-and-control” is not easy, but it’s critical if you want to develop a more collaborative leadership style.

Collaborative leadership demands that leaders, lead without the safety of authority, position and hierarchy. This requires that leaders let go of their need to control and embrace an alternative a collaborative leadership style.

Collaborative leadership begins with the understanding that although you cannot change others you can change yourself. You can change your leadership philosophy, your leadership behaviours and develop a new set of leadership beliefs and skills. The bottom line is that collaborative leadership starts with you and your example. It’s a decision you must make and begins with a change in your mindset, behaviours and the example you set for the team and your enterprise.

3. Flatten Your Enterprise Structures

Flat organisational structures have fewer levels of management with more people reporting into a single manager. This supports a fast, reliable communication and increased collaboration when compared to tall, deep structures. Flat structures are more agile and flexible as a result of faster decision making. However to be successful flat structures require more competent employees as higher levels of responsibility is placed on each individual. Collaborative leaders seek to flatten their enterprises structures allowing individuals to take more responsibility, increased accountability for decision making and power to initiate change.

4. Lead Horizontally

Collaborative leadership is about breaking down silos and building trust based cross-functional relationships. This requires a shift in thinking about who’s your team. Instead of seeing your team as consisting only of your direct reports you must learn to embrace the horizontal team consisting of your peers. Your peers, those leading and working in other functional disciplines, is your team. Leading a horizontal team requires influence and strong relatiopnships. To lead outside your area of responsibility and accountability is the hall mark of collaborative leadership.

5. Develop Leaders at All Levels

Unless we invest massively in the development of leadership at all levels we’ll be stuck with command-and-control as the primary way of getting things done. We’ll constrain the extent to which the enterprise could embrace collaborative leadership. Sadly, many enterprises have historically underinvested in the development of the necessary leadership skills required throughout the organisational structures to navigate in complex, ambiguous and uncertain times.

Collaborative leaders focus intensely on the development of leaders at all levels of the enterprise. Everyone is a leader. Everyone is expected to take responsibility to lead. Everyone is developed to become a leader. Collaborative leaders commit to the development leaders at all levels. Letting go of control and sharing power gives other the opportunity to step up and develop their leadership skills.

One of the best ways to develop leader is through leadership experiences. This means viewing mistakes as a learning and development opportunities. It means placing your best leaders on your biggest opportunities, rather than your biggest problems. It means rotating individuals so they lead outside their comfort zone and to encourage them to lead strategic projects.

6. Build a Foundation of Trust

Trust is the foundation of effective team work and collaboration. When trust fails, leadership fails. All the dysfunctions of teams as described by Patrick Lencioni – the lack of accountability, fear of commitment, lack of conflict and the avoidance of accountability – are a result of the absence of trust. Trust is the foundation of successful team work and collaboration.

Trust does not “just happen” as the result of spending time with others. Trust needs to be deliberately nurtured and developed. Trust is a choice we make about someone, it’s a belief in the competence, reliability, integrity and character of another person. To encourage trust you need to be trustworthy, it’s a two way street. Collaborative leadership have the courage required to trust others, to risk being vulnerable  and to expose who you are and what the stand for to others.

7. Encourage Risk Taking

Developing leaders at all levels means encouraging people to take initiative and the implications of that is we need to take risk. When individuals feel trusted and secure they’re open to risk taking. This is a good thing. Thoughtful risk taking by individuals and teams is necessary for creativity, innovation, learning and growth. Without this enterprises find themselves stuck in the mire of process, procedure, bureaucracy and the status quo. When individuals feel free to take risk they spend less of their time figuring out how to cover their asses and devote more time to driving change.

8. Lead with Questions

When you lead with questions you’re trading control for collaboration. Information and knowledge is spread throughout the enterprise in different silos. To leverage this information require shifting the leadership role from providing the answers to asking questions. Effective questions opens up the conversation and the search for creative new solutions. Effective questions engage people in meaningful conversations. Conversation is how groups think. Effective questions generate conversation. Collaborative leaders bring people together in conversation around the enterprises biggest opportunities.

9. Share Information Broadly

Information is the lifeblood of any enterprise. Sharing information widely places everyone on same level, it encourages responsibility and collaboration. A continuous stream of information about customers, suppliers, markets improves agility and decision making at all levels.

There was a time when information was seen as a source of power and many hoarded and withheld information. However collaborative leaders share information generously. This gives others the information they need to confidently step into leadership roles and take responsibility for initiating change.

Sharing information broadly contributes to building an environment of trust. Without information people feel isolated and tend to make up their own version of reality. This leads to gossip and rumours that undermine trust and leadership effectiveness. Collaborative leaders share information creating an environment of trust and openness.

10. Support Transparent Decision Making

Collaborative leadership requires that leaders share power and allows individuals to contribute and influence decisions. Collaborative leaders are clear about who makes decisions, how decisions will be made, who is accountable for the outcomes and how others can participate in the process. When decision making processes are transparent people spend less time questioning decisions and commit their energy to implementation.

Collaborative leaders create processes and systems that support participation in decision making. Transparent decision making processes empower individuals and teams with the authority to make decisions. They develop supporting  principles, values and decision making criteria as decision making guidelines. This empowers individuals and teams by providing the necessary decision making processes and frameworks in which they can execute their decision making authority.

When individuals are involved in decision making they get a deeper understanding of the issues, challenges and constraints that influence decisions. When people feel their voice has been considered they’re more likely support the decision. This builds the commitment necessary in support of the decisions implementation. Transparent decision making creates buy-in, builds trust.

11. Encourage Constructive Conflict

The active sharing of diverse perspectives provides a richer understanding of what’s happening resulting in better decisions and outcomes. It’s when we combine different ideas, perspectives and understanding that we gain insight. But such insight is hard won – it occurs as the result of difficult conversations around conflicting issues and concerns.

Encouraging constructive conflict in an environment where people are free to raise tough issues, to provide raw feedback to their leaders and team members is essential. Without open and constructive conflict innovation fails, decision making stumbles and creative solutions become scarce.

Collaborative leaders invest in building the interpersonal skills necessary for constructive conflict in themselves and others throughout the organisation. They celebrate diversity and welcome new and challenging perspectives with the goal of finding innovative solutions.

Conclusion

Leading in turbulent times requires a deliberate shift from command-and-control towards a collaborative style of leadership. This is easier said than done. It demands that individuals at all levels take initiative and act in ways that supports the achievement of the vision, purpose and objectives of the enterprise. The freedom to take risk, to fail, to engage in constructive conflict, to participate in decision making and to experiment, to learn and innovate. All this is the result of collaborative leadership.

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The ability to find another's seed of success takes commitment, diligence, and a genuine desire to focus on others.

19/9/2012

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I believe every person carries the seed of success. Every person is craving to become the best that they can be. The ability to find another's seed of success takes commitment, diligence, and a genuine desire to focus on others. You have to look at their gifts, temperament, passions, successes, joys, and opportunities. And once you find that seed, you need to fertilize it with encouragement and water it with opportunity. If you do, the person will blossom before your eyes. 

Raising people to a higher level and helping them be successful is more than just giving them information or skills. The good news is that when you understand some basic concepts about people, it opens the door to your ability to develop others. 

Remember . . .
•Everyone wants to feel worthwhile.
•Everyone needs and responds to encouragement.
•People are naturally motivated.
•People buy into the person before buying into their leadership.
•The more you understand people, the greater your chance of success in mentoring. 

Don't be a old school manager, Bullying and threatening employees that they will loose their job are not effective, they are demotivating and demoralizing. 

Give people a purpose, set goals and delegate tasks with them, coach them every week and give them feedback about the performance. 

Find their seed through weekly one on one's and have professional loving relationships with your people.


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6 Personal Traits Will Accelerate Your Influence at Work

11/11/2011

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_ “They just don’t understand me!”   This is one of the most popular excuses from employees that are having trouble creating impact and influence in the workplace.    In fact, most employees who say that are just tired of a workplace culture that does not encourage them to share their individuality.

Today’s employee wants to engage in a more meaningful and purposeful way.  They want to throw titles and corporate speak out the door.  They want a more genuine environment where people can share their concerns about the business, their personal struggles and ways to collectively solve problems.   Workplace silos, the politics of leadership and the fight for recognition make it difficult for these employees to be productive.

We all experience similar challenges in the workplace, just in different forms. Everyone is hurting, but most are scared to share it because they believe this will disrupt any momentum they have.     The trick is to connect with your colleagues in ways that promote transparency and unity.  People must learn how to feel comfortable about sharing more about themselves; their personal selves.   I have learned that when people know your personal backstory they approach you more respectfully.   Your colleagues become more aware of what really matters to you and will find ways to integrate your heart into your work.     I have also learned that when this approach doesn’t work, you won’t fit into that culture.

Everyone has a backstory. Unfortunately, most people feel that if they disclose it, it will weaken them.     In fact, the reverse happens because all our stories overlap – and those parts that we share connect us.  Why do you think small groups and online communities have become so popular?  In today’s world, people want to connect with others in ways that matter equally to their hearts, and their heads.

Here are (6) personal traits that will help you accelerate your influence at work:

1. Your Goals and Aspirations:

Let others know about what you strive to become, where you are headed and / or what path you desire to take in your career.    It’s ok to be open about what you long for.   Discussions about goal setting are always enlightening and create great dialogue.   They connect people in profound ways that bring them closer together – and that help people work more strategically with one another.

Perhaps you are in middle management and your goal is to lead a business division in your organization.  Not only can the right succession plan be put into place, but maybe you can be assigned as the next employee resource group (ERG) leader that will offer you the experiences and exposure that will be required to reach your ultimate goal.

2. Your Heritage:

Don’t ever assume that others know your cultural background based on your name alone.  In fact, even if they can figure it out, they may not understand the nuances of your culture.    Your heritage defines your customs, attitude and outlook.  It represents your roots and most likely how you were raised.   It helps others understand how you are wired as a leader, decision maker and individual.

For example, if you are from South Korea and are actively involved in your community, you are well versed in the desires and market trends of your culture.    Based on how you share this trait with others, there can be an opportunity to work with as an advisor to your organization’s multicultural marketing department.

3. Your Passion:

What excites you most?   Share it with others.  This cultivates an interesting dialogue because it touches the core of what fuelsyou and gets you going each day.   Your passion defines the magnitude of the impact you seek to create.   While you may surprise some people, it may get you closer to the next opportunity in your organization.    Believe me, I always find ways to align the passion of my employees with their responsibilities.

Coaches can be great mentors. I remember that one of my managers was passionate about being a high school baseball coach.  After he invited me to a few games I realized that he would be a valuable asset to our organization’s mentoring program.

4.  Your Adversities / Struggles:

This one is delicate, but necessary.   We have all faced hurdles in life and it amazes me just how much we all have in common when adversities are shared.   How you can contribute to your organization by utilizing the lessons learned from your experiences with adversity can make a big difference.

Like many of us who have aging parents, caring for elderly is challenging.    But over time you acquire patience and an aptitude and spirit of wanting to help others.   This experience can help you serve as small group leader to others that share the same struggle in your organization; but also gives you the opportunity to support your company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

5.  Your Family/ Childhood:

Talking about your parents and/or siblings will give your colleagues a broader understanding of who you are and what you represent as an individual.  Your family defines your fabric and materials that influenced your upbringing.

That is why your childhood can help others learn a lot about your perspectives.   For example, I grew up in a small town called Azusa, in Southern California.   Because my father worked at the Miller Brewing Company just down the street he would come home for lunch every day and I was able to spend a lot of time with my Dad, especially during the summer, where he would share stories about the impact of his immigrant past and his experiences in Cuba before Castro.

Perhaps now you know why I write about the immigrant perspective.

6. Your Hobbies

What you do outside of work fuels your heart and soul.  Whether it’s your desire to play an instrument or give back to your local community.   Share what drives you in ways that others don’t know about.  I remember I had a boss that played the guitar.   I also knew of (3) others in my work that played instruments and they formed a band that performed for the organization.

These (6) personal stories represent the real you: why you think, act and innovate the way that you do.  Open your mind to seeing beyond the obvious ways to create influence in your work.  By sharing your personal stories, the impact that you can have on those around you will be greatly magnified.

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Follow your passion

1/8/2010

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Find something you like to do so much you would gladly do it for nothing, then learn to do it so well people are happy to pay you for it.
Following your passion us the key to finding your potential.
Your passion will energize and motivate the people you lead.
The power of passion can take a significant event and turn it into a unforgettable one.
Talent is never enough to make your potential, you need passion.
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