Cultivate the 5 seeds of Big Potential says Shawn Achor.
Seed #2: Expand your power: Lead from every seat
A need for leadership ‘at all levels, in all geographies, across all functional areas’ was highlighted by Deloitte in the Global Human Capital Trends 2014 survey.
Achor suggests these strategies to lead from every seat:
1) Lead from the 11th chair: Recognize your ability to lead
“The conductor does not make a sound. He depends on his ability to make other people powerful,” Benjamin Zander, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, empowers others to lead, be it a cellist from the 11th chair. Simply doing their job makes them reach limited potential. By awakening the possibility within others to reach beyond, you help them unleash their big potential.
2) Develop your elevated pitch: Instill the desire to lead
Disengagement at work due to disinterest and quick turnover affect both company morale and finances. It is said, cost of disengagement in the US is $500 billion! Convince others to become a positive force of change. Help them find value in the change and give them free reign. If employees (regardless of ranking) from entry level positions to mid management and up are encouraged to lead trainings, they are no longer passive recipients, sitting idly at seminars. They are invested leaders. There is ‘cross fertilization of ideas and a virtuous cycle of culture change’ is created. The key is inclusive leadership.
3) Use progress as fuel: Reinforce leadership
Change is sustained when we reward the effort to create it. If an attempt to change ends in failure, reinforce the attempt itself. If the change is a success, track it’s progress, spread the word, let others know, encourage them to follow the model. Kaiser Permanante’s Campaign ‘I Saved a Life’ gave feedback to its employees by keeping track of lives saved and recognizing those who were credited, from front desk staff to nurses and physicians.
4) Lead from every lunch seat: Find meaning from every seat
Dr. Amy Wrzesniewski, Yale School of Management promotes Job Crafting. People view their occupation either as a job (work you endure to earn an income), a career (work you pursue for presitge and job satisfaction) or a calling (work you are inspired by for self fulfillment and meaning). Those with a calling orientation find meaning in what they do regardless of whether they are a flagger on a mountain pass, janitor at a hospital, or a CEO of a start up.
Design firm IDEO worked with the San Francisco Unified School District to redesign lunch experience for students. It is based on an idea, ‘A Cafeteria designed for me’. They offered communal eating spaces, nutritional information and local sourcing of food to equip each student to make his/her healthy lunch choice. The kids find meaning in their choices.
By motivating others to find meaning in what they do, you magnify your own meaning.
Let future goals propel you, not paralyze you. “The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them. If they don’t scare you they are not big enough.” Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first woman president.