"Since we fear most that which is unknown to us, defining moments of change occur when we choose to know our fear." - from 7 Moments…That Define Excellent Leaders
After spending more than a few hours lamenting with friends about the challenges of the new generation of worker, I decided to be constructive and write a rapid-read book on how to lead today's workforce titled Power Exchange.
Unlike yesterday's leaders, today's leaders must exchange their power for employee performance.
The less you control your power, the more you shift power to your team. You exchange your power and information for team accountability and performance. Sharing your own power gives your team power.
On the other hand, the more you control your power, the less productive and engaged your team will be. Restricting the information flow with your team will choke your own success.
As you progress through each power converter, you enhance your employees' responses to your leadership and elevate their level of accountability.
Let's see how a team leader, Todd, and an employee, Kristen, progress through the power converters:
Todd: "Hey, Kristen. I'm glad I bumped into you. I wanted to talk to you about something. We really need to improve our response time on special orders." (Todd is explaining the game.)
Kristen: "OK, I understand." (Kristen is simply observing.)
Todd: "You're on the front lines with this issue. Why do you think our response time has increased lately?" (Todd is asking for input.)
Kristen: "Well, the new system migration has had its bumps. But I think the bigger issue is that we weren't prepared for the recent promotional campaign to our VIP customers. Our call volume from VIPs has increased by 80% for special orders over the same period last quarter." (Kristen is participating.)
Todd: "We need to discuss your ideas on how we can get back on track. Our response time has a direct impact on our bottom line, so I'll give you whatever support you need to take care of this." (Todd is involving Kristen.)
Kristen: "That sounds great. Let me send you some initial recommendations before our meeting. I'm confident we can identify a good solution and implement it quickly." (Now Kristen is committed to solving the problem.)
Todd: (After the solution is implemented.) "That was a great job, Kristen. I really appreciate the way you took the initiative to explore solutions and make them happen." (Todd is demonstrating his appreciation for Kristen and for her performance.)
Kristen: "Thanks, Todd! It was cool to make a real difference. I've already proposed a process to the Marketing Department that will keep us in the loop and prevent this problem in the future." (Kristen is taking ownership of the problem!)
Powerful leaders know they only get accountability from their employees by being accountable to them and their success. They understand that with today's worker, accountability is a two-way street.
Take a FREE Power Exchange Calibrator based on the four power converters revealed in the book. A five minute investment can help you boost your team's performance!
To learn about the simple actions behind each power converter, check out Power Exchange.
