Beyond Positional Power

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Subject: Beyond Positional Power

Beyond Positional Power

The leadership shift that creates ownership, initiative and accountability.

Hey Friend

A lot of leaders tell me they want their people to take more ownership, initiative and accountability. What we don't always realise is how we're part of the problem, and that getting our people to change might require us to change first.

Usually, this change is on the topic of control or of being over-responsible for things that aren't actually ours.

Our need for control is one of the reasons positional power is so appealing. I have the title, so obviously I can make the decision. If I make the decision, things will progress faster and when things move faster, I feel productive and successful.

At least that's the story we tell ourselves.

The challenge is that leadership today needs a different approach to the one many of us were taught. Today leadership requires us to influence rather than direct.

It requires us to invite challenge rather than avoid it and to be curious about perspectives that differ from our own, instead of assuming our position automatically makes us right or the most knowledgeable.

I think Robert Kegan's work on adult development is relevant for this conversation. He talks about a shift from what is called the Socialised Mind to the Self-Authoring Mind.

The Socialised Mind looks to the environment for answers. It wants to know how things are done here. It seeks approval, certainty and belonging. Most organisations are built around reinforcing this way of thinking.

The Self-Authoring Mind is different. It develops the confidence to think independently while remaining open to learning. It allows us to hold multiple perspectives without feeling threatened by them. It can disagree without creating division and can lead without relying on hierarchy.

When I look at the strongest leaders I work with, I think this is the shift they've made. They've stopped asking, "How do I get people to do what I want?"

And instead ask, "How do I create the conditions where people want to contribute?"

It might seem like a subtle difference, but it changes everything.

The future of leadership won't belong to the people with the most authority. It will belong to the people who know how to create trust, ownership, curiosity and commitment in others.

This shift is one of the most important pieces of leadership work any of us can do.

If you're ready to make that shift yourself, or you'd like your leadership team to build the capability to influence without relying on hierarchy, I'd love to help.

This is exactly the work I'm doing through executive coaching and leadership development programs.

OR you might like to come along to my next public, virtual Dynamic Leaders Tutelage Series kicking off on the 7th of July.

Register here.

Book a conversation here.

Shelley 😁

Shelley Flett

Leadership Trainer, Facilitator & Coach | Shelley Flett Pty Ltd

M: 0407 522 888 | E: shelley@shelleyflett.com | W: shelleyflett.com

How are you developing the confidence to think independently while remaining open to learning?