the art of leading

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The same thing told in different ways will be heard differently and have different effects. In a recent post (Who Needs Charisma?), I mentioned an article in the August/September 2007 issue of Scientific American MIND magazine (The New Psychology of Leadership). In that same issue, there is another extraordinary article which I want to refer to, since it has so much to do with persuasion. In When Words Decide, author Barry Schwartz describes how the wording of questions or choices have a shockingly deep effect on the final decisions of people. Some of what Schwartz says is pretty obvious information. But the article does provide some detailed tidbits that any leader should apply when trying to get his or her way. Here they are presented, along with suggestions on how to use them as a leader who wants to persuade

1. People normally choose the default option. It’s easier and they assume it’s best for them.
Tip: Use your preferred option as the default. It’s simpler and easier for people to do nothing. Provide an opt-out option instead of an opt-in option. For example, if you prefer that your employees have a 401-K plan, make it the default option, leaving the employees with the power of declining to have one by opting out.

2. People are more motivated to not lose something than to gain something. For some reason, the fear of negative things is more impacting to people than the possibility of gaining something.
Tip: Emphasize to people the negative characteristics of an option you are against (obviously) but do so in a way that motivates them to prevent loss. For example, if you are running a campaign to get people tested for HIV, tell them what will happen in the case of late detection (lose your life) instead of what they could gain in case of early detection (more effective treatment).

3. People pick the most favorable of two options, but if given only one option they don’t have anything to compare to. If you ask people if $100 is a fair price for a microwave, their answers will be inconsistent. If on the other hand, you present people with that same microwave and ask them if the new $500 “Premium” microwave is a better offer, most would see the first one as the best choice.
Tip: Give people a specific context to work with. Make your preferred option the most favorable of two options, even if it’s less favorable than a third unnamed option. In other words, provide a field of comparison when trying to persuade.

For clarification and further helpful examples, go to the complete article:

Scientific American Mind: When Words Decide
Researchers are discovering the myriad ways in which
language can have a profound effect on the choices we make–from the foods we eat to the laws we support

Categories : Failure, Mentorship, Recognition, Uncategorized // Add Comment »

Analytical people are those that need to think long and hard about every decision they make before they finally make it. There’s nothing wrong with that, but as a true leader you need to know how to get to them if you want to influence them.

They want four main things to make them feel O.K. about making the right decision:
1. Answers - These people are great questioners, so you need to be prepared to answer.

2. Facts - Their analytical minds want to base their decisions on facts, not mushy emotional stuff. Give them what they want.

3. Options - By nature, an analytical process frequently contains more than one option so that a comparison can be done. Giving them multiple options assures this process.

4. Time - This is perhaps the most important. They need time to make the decisions that they’ll be confident about. Obviously time may be tight, but try to grant them this space so that they’re able to complete their mental process.

Categories : Communication, Confidence, Mentorship, Negotiation, Personal Development, Proactivity, Relationships // 1 Comment »

Leadership doesn’t have a nice little set of rules. Everything that is promoted as a “rule” that has to be followed to become a leader can have many interpretations. In fact, the complete opposite of what the rules say can be as useful as what the original says. That is what this article is about: Contradictions that appear to be mutually exclusive, but really aren’t. These contradictions will make a better leader of you if you put them in practice:

Contradiction #1

Think about your legacy
What do you you want people to think about your leadership 10, 20, 30, or 100 years from now? Do you even want to be remembered? Or are you content with just contributing your grain of salt? Answers to these questions might help you in clarifying the principles you want to lead by. It isn’t the same being remembered for your cunning than being remembered for your sense of humor. Think about it, and make sure everything you do now, adds to that legacy you have envisioned.

Don’t think about your legacy
If you focus too much on what others will think about you in the future in some other place, then you won’t be able to focus on being here now. Thinking about your legacy for too long can distract you from what needs to be done to get there. Contemplate this projection for just long enough to capture the essence, and then immediately start working on getting there. Also, don’t get caught in the trap of concentrating in just your legacy, when you primarily need to be concentrating in how that legacy impacts your followers, your organization, or society in general.

Contradiction #2

Be a mentor
This “legacy” refers to a set of principles as much as it does to personal success. And there is no better way to perpetuate this set of principles than by promoting them. The way to do this is to become a mentor to others, and developing their talents. These pupils, if taught well, will be evangelists of your school of thought, leadership style, and ideas. If they differ from you, then you have indirectly contributed to creating other perspectives which might benefit everyone. For that reason, you need not be afraid of having your pupils pass you by in terms of position or expertise, since that would be a sign of your own prowess.

Don’t be a mentor
When most people hear the word “mentor”, they might think of a classic teacher-student dynamic where the teacher talks and the student takes notes. If that is what a mentor is, then I don’t want you to be one. The best way to lead is by example. Become what you want your pupils to become. Remember: Actions are easier to remember than words. And they’re easier to imitate too. Instead of telling what to do, show how to do it. Instead of mentoring, demonstrate.

Contradiction #3

Go with the flow
Many leaders or would-be leaders find it tempting to be a contrarian just for the sake of it. Don’t be one of them! There’s no problem with doing what others are doing if it will help. Having this ‘go with the flow’ attitude will also permit you to be more willing and able to change with the times, and adapt more easily to those changes. Taking advantage of those tides can be very beneficial to your organization or mission.

Don’t go with the flow
True leadership is based on a set of principles that guides your organization, be it a school, a church, a corporation, or your own family. This is what Stephen Covey refers to when talking about Principle-Centered Leadership. If these principles are solid and worthwile, then they will not change in the midst of different fashions. They will remain in place throughout every decision you will make. Consequently, this will mean that you won’t just “go with the flow” whenever the “flow” goes in another direction. Apart from the all-important principles, you also need to find something that characterizes you. People need to be able to differentiate you from everyone else in your field. Followers will remember leaders who are ahead of the pack. In fact, leaders are leaders precisely because they are different from the also-rans. Be unique in some way.

Contradiction #4

Make it BIG
Big things are easier to remember than small things. Actions that make a big splash in your organization and drive a point home will make a big impact. Of course, you want it to be a big positive splash, but big nonetheless. Big sometimes means bold. Perhaps you have to speak out against an injustice that nobody dared to speak out against. Or maybe you could fly an airplane carrying a message behind it. If a message is worth communicating, then do what needs to be done to communicate it. Everyone remembers big.

Make it small
Small details are very valuable for many people. Maybe you think that smiling to your janitor didn’t have any important effect on him or her. But those supposedly insignificant events are many times the most significant. One of the best ways to influence the lives of followers or peers is to create joy in their lives. That seemingly irrelevant smile might be the high point of the janitor’s day or even week. It doesn’t take too much effort to simply listen, respect, and encourage. Everyone remembers small.

Contradiction #5

Think long-term
Every leader needs a long-term vision. In fact, if you don’t have it, then most probably aren’t even a leader. It is the central purpose of leadership to provide a big-picture perspective for whatever or whoever is being led. Administering the more technical and immediate day-to-day tasks should belong to the realm of the administrator, who is not necessarily a leader. A true leader has the capacity to serve as the compass of the following.

Think short-term
Every leader needs short-term vision. In order to reach a long-term goal, you need to put into place a set of more immediate steps. These steps have to be taken now so that a goal becomes a reality. Some events need to happen before. In fact, the mark of a true leader is his or her ability to coordinate events in the future with events in the present. Those events need to be made compatible.

Categories : Communication, General Leadership, Goals, Mentorship, Recognition, Relationships // 6 Comments »

Think ahead-be prepared

In the Mafia, Families maintain a position roughly equal to that of Vice-President in business terms. They call that person the Underboss. The Underboss is the second-in-command of the family. Their specific tasks may vary from family to family. Sometimes they have autonomous power to run a large part of the business ventures with the sole obligation of reporting to the don, who’s #1. Other times that person doesn’t have such broad capacity. The most common thread, though it varies, is that the underboss is frequently groomed to replace the don in case of death or incarceration.

This is a perfect example of planning for the future. It involves putting the future of an organization in the top of the priority list. Granted, many leaders in many walks of life have been great icons without having a succession plan in place. But their organizations have faltered after their exit. In the Mafia, though, the main Families have remained the same throughout some decades: the Sicilian Mafia, the Camorra Mafia, the Calabrian Mafia, the Sacra Coronas Unita, and La Cosa Nostra (American Mafia). Obviously, the underboss many times has been ousted before becoming don. But the fact remains that the family has created new leaders that subsequently rise to power and guarantee relative stability.

Today’s business world, I believe, should take heed. Many companies hire CEO’s from outside their cultures. Their success is dependant on the “flavor of the day”, evidenced by the high turnover rates. I’m not saying this is inherently bad: fresh perspectives aid a lot in solving different situations. It’s just that I believe that the best leaders see themselves as having the additional responsibility of assuring the organization’s future and not just think about the present moment. The best leaders should develop themselves as mentors to others. This provides flexibility and security in case of unforeseeable circumstances.

Mafiosi understand the importance of mentorship. You should too. Not only does it bring considerable benefits to an organization as a whole, but it also aids in the personal development of everyone, hence breeding more productivity and loyalty.

Categories : General Leadership, Mafia, Mentorship // 1 Comment »