Have you looked around your workplace and thought about how you would do things differently if you were in charge?
It’s funny how we accept our organization’s structure and assume that the ability to lead change requires being a team leader, a manager, or a CEO with a number of reports.
Of course, it’s easier to lead from a position of authority because when you have the title, people look to you to set the direction for the team.
But the most important thing that comes with having a position of authority is the ability to decide how resources will be used within the organization.
The reality is, it requires very little authority to lead.
The authority a CEO, manager or team leader has may give you permission to give directions to other people but relying solely on your authority to get other people to do things isn’t really leading at all.
Instead, leadership is about inspiring people around you to willingly join you and want to support your kaupapa.
There are many ways to do that.
1. MAHIA TE MAHI
Lead by example. Take the action you want to see.
When others see you pursuing your goals, you are showing them what to do, how to do it, and that it is achievable – and that makes the pursuit of goals contagious.
If you want to influence others to set, pursue and achieve their goals, be visible in the actions you take in pursuing goals you think are important.
2. MEHEMEA KA MOEMOEĀ AU KO AU ANAKE. MEHEMEA KA MOEMOEĀ TĀTOU, KA TAEA TĀTOU.
Identify the problem and paint a picture for people of how a situation could be improved.
This will give people the energy to act and to support the kaupapa.
Because typically, people are motivated to pursue a goal through recognition of a gap between the present and a more desirable future.
What this means is you need to become skilled at articulating the ways that your organization can be improved and it needs to go way beyond complaining.
Complaining doesn’t motivate or inspire action but focusing on the ways that the future could be better does.
3. TE KAI A TE RANGATIRA, HE KŌRERO
Lead upward.
Leading isn’t done by getting people in your team on board; it also requires getting people who have the resource authority and decision-making power to go along with your belief about what needs to be done.
When you are able to communicate effectively your views on how important goals can be accomplished, you’re more likely to get support from those in positions of authority above you.
It’s important to do it in a way where you are allowing people who have higher-level positions to reach a decision about how to proceed and to take ownership of that decision.
The downside to leading up is that the people above you are likely to get credit for your efforts.
(And it’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.)
The upside is that leaders often remember who had helped them to find ways to achieve difficult tasks.
And while you may not get credit for all your mahi, it may put you in a position to move upward in the organization (or another) later.
4. KEI A KOE TE MANA
You already have what you need to lead.
So don’t wait to be a leader or for other people to give you permission to lead.
All you need to do is to make the decision to embrace the leader in you and look around for opportunities to flex your leadership muscles.
You’ll not only impress those around but also yourself.
Ngā manaakitanga
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