You don't need the title "manager" to be
a leader in your organization
For many of us, "leadership" is something that's bestowed upon us. We often think of it as a combination of authority, control and motivation that exists at the manager level and above at our place of work. But there's a new move afoot. Change is in the air. Two Ceridian leaders reveal a fresh new view of leadership, one that involves -- and empowers -- individuals at every level of an organization. Position authority vs. influence authority
"We instinctively know what position authority is," says Keith Peterson, Ceridian vice president of Marketing. "For those of us who operate in the business world, position authority is all about the formal job title. It's the corner office. It's someone's official place in the corporate hierarchy. But influence authority is something else entirely. When we talk about influence, we open the door to exciting new possibilities for employees at all levels of the organization." Peterson also points out, "Every one of us is in some sort of leadership role. That's because we have influence over other people already, in every aspect of our lives. You're a parent. You're a Little League coach. You are someone's brother or sister or Sunday school teacher. This is 'people responsibility' at its best. When we talk about influence authority, we're talking about setting an example in life through our behavior. When you get right down to it, leadership is about influencing people. It's something we all do every day." Two paths to influence
"It's empowering to consider our ability to influence others," says Dianne Pettet, Ceridian senior training consultant for Learning and Development. "And it's healthy to want to increase your level of influence. Just remember, though -- there are two paths to influence. One path is trust, service and genuine concern. The other is manipulation, intimidation and deception. That means that anyone who wants to increase their influence authority must do some soul-searching. Start by checking your motive. Begin by checking your heart." Peterson agrees. "We've all seen the dark side of personal influence," he says. "Think about the worst boss you ever had. They probably were not an effective leader. What did they do that just drove you crazy? Did they micromanage, overreact or take credit for your work? Were they incessant worriers? Did they undermine your efforts or expect everybody to act exactly like them? Did they play the blame game? Were they prone to passive-aggressive behavior? Taking stock of these qualities and characteristics is exceedingly important -- because in order to grow as leaders we must examine what drives our own behavior." Peterson suggests that we examine our personal values. "Take an honest look inside yourself to determine what really matters to you on a personal level. Identify your personal values first. Then figure out whether you're really living by them. Think about what happens when you compromise your personal values, and exactly what might make you compromise them. You might be surprised at all you learn from this exercise, and it's a great way to begin creating the right kind of personal influence at work and at home." Understanding our personal values is the first step toward creating positive personal influence -- something that holds real power in our family lives and in our future. But how do we translate this knowledge to leadership in the workplace? What's the best place to begin? According to Peterson, "Success begins with trustworthiness." The power of trust
"Building trust is crucial," says Pettet. "Even if you've never held a formal leadership role in your organization, you have the potential to be a strong leader if you are perceived as someone who is trustworthy. At a very basic level, for instance, do you trust yourself? Do you trust yourself to remain composed when presented with anger or conflict, or when you come face-to-face with something that threatens you on a deeply personal level? Those who trust themselves are on the path to positive influence, because trust leads to accountability. It engenders credibility. In the workplace or at home, if you follow through on promises naturally and consistently, then others will trust you. You must do as you say and follow through on promised actions. If you get the little things right, the big things follow." "If you're a trusted member of the team, you can be a leader," Peterson adds. "When people trust us, when they count on us, when they can come to us for advice and counsel, wonderful things happen. There are lots of benefits, both personally and professionally." The courage to be positive
"Trustworthiness is the basis of positive influence," says Peterson. "One way to lead others is to examine yourself, and then to display the correct level of self-disclosure. For example, building trust within a work team could be as easy as saying, 'I don't know. I don't have the answer.' Because that's genuine. That's real. Your teammates know, just as you do, that it's easy to put up your guard, to not admit you're vulnerable or that you have limitations. If you seek to lead others, you must help them have the courage to be positive. That's real leadership." "The ability to display a positive attitude and take positive action is what defines real leaders," agrees Pettet. "Help your colleagues shake off inertia, that stale feeling that comes from waiting for someone else to do something. I'm a firm believer in positive action. Don't wait for someone else. Don't rely on others to get something done if it needs doing. People watch us. They pay attention to our behavior. That's why it's important to have the courage to take positive action." "Today, relationships seem to be filled with cynicism and skepticism," says Peterson. "That's why self-knowledge and self-disclosure can make such a difference. People don't trust someone they don't know, so breaking down barriers and creating a positive, trusting environment is very powerful. That doesn't mean airing all your dirty laundry; it means being honest. It means living the values that are personally important to you. It means having the courage to be positive in spite of cynics and skeptics. You'll find this is leadership at its best." Assert yourself as a leader
"Think outside the cube," says Pettet. "You have many roles, many lives, you have a demonstrated ability to make a difference. Maybe you're an awesome Sunday school teacher, you're a fabulous daughter or you're the best soccer coach ever. These skills are transferable to the workplace; self-knowledge and positive action will allow you to assert yourself as a leader." A fresh view of leadership empowers people at every level of every organization to be leaders in their team, department and organization as a whole. "Secure people take care of others," Peterson says. "Leaders are people conscious, not position conscious. They act to add value to others, not to take it away. By having the courage to be positive, by stepping up to acknowledge our power to influence others in an affirmative way, we realize that 'leadership' isn't delivered to us, but lives within every one of us - regardless of job title."
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