I was reminded this week of some leadership behavior that
is destructive. It wasn’t even in my own life, but with a family member. I was
extremely frustrated to hear the details around a conversation involving a
high-level management person and a person on the front lines of getting work
done. I had coached this person in how to approach a situation and much to my
dismay, the high-level management person decided to minimize the intelligence
and worth of someone I care deeply for.
It’s the age-old dilemma of positional versus moral authority. Those
that lead well don’t allow their position to go to their head. People who lead
based on their position on the organizational chart don’t understand one of the
core components of leadership…influence. They lead with the mentality of being
superior because of their position. They lead with intimidation. They ignore
input, demand control and disparage people below them on that organizational
chart. It pains me to even use the word lead when describing their behavior.
Moral authority is based more on your character and behavior than
an organizational chart. It doesn’t matter what your title is. I’ve lead teams,
groups and individuals on numerous occasions without a title. How? Developing
my moral authority through influence. To earn the right to influence someone you
must build trust. To build trust, you invest time with people and show you are
dependable and competent. It also helps to show you care by showing genuine,
authentic concern about them as people.
You can be both considerate and effective as a leader.
Effectiveness doesn’t have to suffer just because you are a nice person. Sure,
there are boundaries to set and difficult conversations to have. If you have
developed moral authority along the way, those conversations are not only
easier but often more constructive as well.
