I think about leadership a lot. This week maybe more than usual as my BreakPoint SoultionsTM partners and I introduce AscensionTM, our in-house leadership model. The model moves through Animation, Articulation, Amplification, and Action, with Assessment integrated into every element of the model. We believe the model provides a dynamic approach to identifying, expanding and realizing goals that can be used by individuals and organizations. More information is available from me, any of my partners, and at www.breakpoint.solutions.

BreakPointTM Solutions AscensionTM Model

It’s not my intention to sell the model here, rather I’ve been reflecting on what I believe about leadership and how it’s changed over the years.

Like many people, my initial understanding of leadership was as a verb. The act of leading others. Getting others to do what you want or need them to do. Outward focused and the responsibility of someone in a position of authority. The more I read and think about it, the more I realize that before you can impact or influence others, you need to look inward. As a result I’ve identified some steps toward becoming a leader:

Recognizing where you have opportunities to be a leader
Be willing to lead
Getting clear about the purpose (the Why)
Communicating from that position of clarity
Honing your skills
Have the courage to take action to make things better

Today I’ll tackle 1, 2, and 6. The rest I’ll leave for another day.

A Leadership Point of View

A few years ago I was introduced to Level Three Leadership-Getting Below the Surface by James G. Clawson. If you’ve heard me speak about leadership, you have heard me refer to a key concept in Clawson’s book that resonates with me:

Being a Leader depends on point of view, not title or status.

Clawson’s leadership point of view consists of three elements:

Seeing what needs to be done
Understanding all the underlying forces at play in a situation
Having the courage to initiate action to make things better

Anyone can adopt a leadership point of view. No position or authority is required. Instead, many of us adopt other points of view – by choice or by habit. You will all recognize the others:

The follower – who waits to be told what to do;
The bureaucrat – who waits for permission or simply passes things up the chain;
The administrator – who is constrained by what has been done before and can’t handle anything new or out of the ordinary; and,
The contrarian – we all know the contrarian. At one time or another we may have been the contrarian uttering phrases like “that won’t work”, “we’ve tried that before”, “yes but…” and on and on.

I invite you to ask yourself a few questions:

What point of view am I operating from?
Is this where I typically operate – my habitual way of seeing the world?
If not, why is my point of view different now?
Where do I have opportunities to apply a leadership point of view?

Did you see yourself in any of the other points of view? If so, don’t be too hard on yourself. We’ve all been there at one time or another and sometimes with good reason. A follower POV, for example, is fine when you are new in a career or position, but if you find yourself here after a while, it’s great to step back and ask why. Is it as simple as changing your view or do you need to ask for help or additional training?

The bureaucrat and the administrator may be tougher. Let’s face it, some jobs are bureaucratic or administrative. I think the trick is to not settle for any of these points of view. Even in the most bureaucratic or administrative position you can be on the look out for what needs to be done and the underlying forces in the situation and when your situation prevents you from taking action the courageous thing to do might be to ask someone who is in a position to act to do so.

Of all the others, I think the contrarian is the most dangerous. Dangerous to the team because the negativity can get in the way of success – and dangerous because it is contagious. If Dale doesn’t care, why should I? If Dale says we’ve tried that before and it didn’t work, why bother trying? But, perhaps the most dangerous thing about the contrarian POV is that it’s sticky! Once you are there, it’s hard to get away. It takes a conscious effort to make a switch. In her book Change Your Questions Change Your Life, Marilee Adams identifies mindsets and pathways and suggests we can use switching questions to change from one mindset to another. Adams suggests that questions like Why are they so stupid? or What’s wrong with me (or them)? will move you further down a negative path. On the other hand, questions like What do I want for myself and others? What assumptions am I making? or Am I being responsible? can move us to a more positive mindset.

What questions can you ask yourself when you need to adjust your point of view?

Questions will also help if you find yourself occupying a point of view that is different than your typical world view. What is it about this situation that has shifted you from where you normally are to one of the others? Can you use shifting questions or the leadership POV to readjust? It may require the courage to take action!

I hope by now you agree that being a leader is a choice. It’s about recognizing when we have the opportunity to lead, being willing, and taking action. Many of us see what needs to be done and understand - at least - most of the underlying forces at play, but having the courage to initiate action to make things better is, for me, what differentiates a leader. You know these people. We all do. People in our lives, in the public eye or historical figures who provided leadership regardless of, and sometimes in spite of, their title or authority. Could you be one of these people?

So the most important question to ask yourself might be:

Am I willing to adopt a leadership point of view?

Willingness to do so, especially having the courage to take action, is a giant step toward leadership for those who are starting out and a giant step in the right direction for those who already see themselves as leaders.

Keep your eye open for opportunities!

My hope is that sharing what I’ve been thinking gets you thinking. As always, I invite your comments or questions. Agree, disagree, and share your own tips and tools. Thanks.

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Dale Cooney, BSP, MBA, CEC, ACC
Partner - BreakPoint Solutions
dalec@breakpoint.solutions
www.breakpoint.solutions
780-250-2546