TQT: Leadership

TQT: Leadership
Today's Tuesday quick thought is about leadership.
 
I had the opportunity this past week to hear from Connie Dieken, best selling author and leadership consultant for some of the largest companies in the world. 
 
Connie was the keynote at the TTISI annual convention, where she talked about the intersection of leadership and influence. I want to focus on one aspect of her talk: what makes someone an influential leader? How does that differ from other types of leaders?
 
She identified 3 basic patterns of how a leader 'gets what they want.' The first is to be a manipulator. The goal of the manipulator is to dominate.
 
They think in terms of zero sum ('what's good for you is bad for me' and vice versa), and they are about their own glory.They tend to assert their power or position forcefully through power plays and guilt trips.
 
The second is to be a persuader. The goal of the persuader is to get something done. 
 
They tend to have more short term thinking, prioritizing the immediate responsibility or task over the long term. They seek to convince through rationalization, and can try to coax and plead to get you to come to their side. 
 
Finally, the third way is to be an influencer. The goal of the influencer is to help other succeed. 
 
They tend to think about the big picture, over time bringing others on board. They are about mutual respect - they want to succeed while also having others succeed with them. They are patient as they bring others along, and work with them to build relational equity.
 
Give it a think and then ask yourself: are you a manipulator, persuader, or influencer? It may be hard to realize that you are not an influencer, but in order to elevate your leadership you must know. Your people definitely know - the first step to correction is proper diagnosis.
 
Connie's challenge is to choose influence. Will you?
 
And that your Tuesday quick thought. Connect with us for more.