Ever since I read Power: How to Get It – How to Keep It by Michael Korda in the 1980’s, I have been a passionate observer of how leaders influence those around them. While the word “power” is sometimes interpreted as being negative, no effort ever moves forward without someone exerting it.
What I have discovered over time is that the subtlety with which power is used can make the difference between a positive outcome and one that goes off the rails. As I work with stressed leaders, this is one of the principles I try to impress.
There are times when using direct position power is the best option. But the vast majority of times, the use of gentle persuasion is far more effective. After all, few people like to be told what to do.
The most effective leaders I have worked for or observed use subtle and encouraging comments to get people invested in the mission. People like to think they are working for the greater good. At the same time, they also like to think they are making that contribution on their terms.
Some might accuse leaders using subtle power of being manipulative. But isn’t that we all do when attempting to get a person or group of people to act in a particular way?
Some leaders get frustrated because they think the people around them should be reading their minds. After all, these people are working for the organization. When this doesn’t happen, they resort to command and control. The problem here is that specific direction, without context, results in specific action but without the reasoning to extrapolate.
The worker who receives a direct order completes the task, but is reluctant to think two or three steps ahead without another specific instruction. When something doesn’t go as planned, they seek out the boss for instructions on how to deal with it. When this happens over and over, the person in charge ends up with a parade of people asking questions.\
Effective leaders offer context and reasoning that those working for them understand and buy into. When given an assignment of this nature, the workers feel empowered to reason and act independently. This reduces the stress on the person in charge by eliminating many of the little decisions they are asked to make when they use a command-and-control approach.
I have found that a couple of minutes of explaining the larger context behind the task gets the person emotionally and intellectually involved in the reasoning for the effort. This, coupled with providing the authority to act, is all it takes to move the burden of decision making from myself to the person I’ve delegated responsibility.
Does this work every time? No, but if they come to me with an issue they should be act on themselves, I respond by revisiting the reasoning we had discussed when I assigned the task. Once they are reminded of that, I can ask, “Given that, what do you think should do?” Go through this process enough and they get the idea that I want to them to think on their own and that I will back them regardless.
What do you do to use subtle power to lead your team and reduce your stress? We’d all like to know. Put your ideas in the comments below.