The why and how of achieving impact
LEADERSHIP FACTS
Did you know?
87 per cent of Millennials indicate a strong connection between their personal motivation to help the company succeed and the emotional intelligence of the company’s leaders
Source: Levo Institute6
There are many reasons to focus on your impact. In fact, so many benefits exist. There are a few included in the following figure.
Impact happens in the moment
If you want to have greater impact, you have to be in the moment, be 100 per cent present, to make the people you are with feel that they have your full attention and that they matter the most. It is all about how you make people feel in that moment – they feel important, there is nowhere you would rather be and, therefore, there is nowhere they would rather be. It also requires you to have a laser focus and not to multitask.
It is important to remove distractions, putting the phone away, not checking emails, staying focused. When you are in the moment, you will gain more from people. That moment that we just had has gone, the next moment is not here yet and the only thing we have is ‘now’, so create your impact in this moment.
Besides, studies show that people who multitask may reduce their productivity by as much as 40 per cent,7 so focus is always a great idea.
Impact happens all the time, whether intentional or not.
The key to effective impact is, therefore, to be intentional about it, to decide ‘this is the impact I want and choose to have’. Being intentional about it means you are choosing the effect you have on those around you and that gets you more sustainable results.
Positive impact can help you get your message across, make people feel inspired to act and drive better results. This fuels a strong positive impact spiral, where behaviours are contagious and the impact magnifies as it spirals upwards. Adversely, if you do not know what impact you have, your impact can be negative as our story ‘Don’t put your head in the sand’ later in this chapter demonstrates.
When having a negative impact, you are achieving negative results, as you are impacting people in a negative way. And, if you are, for whatever reason, not able to have the impact you need, your results will suffer.
Blaming others and not taking responsibility for actions, behaviours and results creates a negative impact spiral. It makes other people fearful, reluctant to take responsibility, hence feeding a spiral of blame.
You are in control of that spiral and that spiral can spread to others. Others will then see that behaviour and think it is OK to behave like that. Behaviour breeds behaviour and that is how the spiral starts, in a positive or negative way.
Let us take a look at how you can achieve impact. More detailed information on how to achieve impact for specific audiences or a few key situations is given in the later chapters of this book.
Spreading the bad mood
Samuel was in a bad mood. His wife had really annoyed him this morning by being so negative about her new job. She seemed miserable and downbeat, and she was complaining that everything was wrong. Samuel had tried to help her see that it was not, but it had not done any good. He was frustrated with her being so despondent when she had no reason to be.
On his way into the office, he was reflecting on this and he was feeling pretty despondent himself. He walked into his office, head down, with a grumpy look on his face, and his shoulders were slumped. It was obvious he was not in a good place. One of his direct reports came towards his office and saw his demeanour. ‘I am not going in there’, she thought. Samuel barked an order for her to come in and discuss a report with him.
She came out of his office a while later feeling despondent; she swept out of his office ready to spread the word that Samuel was in a foul mood today.
1. What goes with the title?
We are all bigger than our title. If we have a title at work, it does not mean that is all that we are. Besides, with all these complex titles, who knows what the job really is? What is a head of strategy, senior independent non-executive director, CPO, COO, CMO, CIO? These roles vary so widely from one organisation to another. One thing that it does say is that your title has an impact, it has a set of expectations that go with it. If you are the CEO, then you had better behave like the CEO.
A title can carry impact, particularly in a traditional, hierarchical environment. It can be a door opener, but, unless it is supported by impactful behaviours, that impact may be short-lived. We can be an informal leader in the way we behave and not in title, that has just as much impact.
2. The way you behave and your habits
If you are in a room and the most senior person walks in, yet you have not met them, how do you know? How do you know they are the most senior person when they walk into the room? Should they bring their title in first? No, it is their actions and behaviours that differentiate them.
We are not what our title says. Yet, we can have a great impact by thinking of our title as something that represents us. What our title says sometimes can speak louder than what we say. If a senior leader comes to a meeting, the fact that they are attending can say enough before they have opened their mouth and said anything. There is an expectation that goes with the title. What would the meeting be like if they were in that meeting and what would it be like if they were not there? That tells you about the impact they have or are having.
There is an impact that is driven by your position and the kind of reach that you can have in that position. On many occasions, people do not think about their position as powerful, yet others around them do, so that in itself sets an expectation.
Recently, I was in a meeting where a team member constantly said, ‘As a director, I think we need to do X? As a Director my role is X.’ All it did was demonstrate how much they were not behaving like a director. If you have to say you are a director, then you are not. You need to behave like one.
3. Being a great communicator and listener
Think about your communication messages: ‘What are you saying in your non-verbal communication?’ Your impact has to take into consideration your appearance, physiology, voice and the words you use. Your words can be a representation of your inner world, your thoughts and feelings. Working with someone recently who kept describing the organisation as a battle field, this was creating a feeling of battle and conflict in the people around him. As a leader, you have a significant impact with your words.
4. ULPs – unique leadership points
We all have ULPs, our unique leadership points, and it is important that we are aware of them. Understanding our strengths and knowing them is as important, or more so, as knowing our developments. When we know our strengths and use them positively, they form our ULPs.
An engaging meeting
People noticed JR when he came into a room. It was his energy and enthusiasm that were particularly infectious. He had called his team together for a strategy planning session. As so often with his team, the room was buzzing with eager anticipation. These sessions were always good; they all knew that, so they came with that expectation. He was almost overwhelmingly positive.
He started the meeting with a story linked to their vision: how they would revolutionise the industry. His plans were ambitious, almost on the verge of unbelievable, but people always believed in his message. He had an uncanny ability to rally people around big dreams for the future. He could galvanise people to the degree that they really trusted they could do it – and they did.
Ahead of the meeting, JR had successfully pre-framed what they would talk about, which helped him, as usual, to make it a success. His pre-frame message held the same kind of energy and hope that would then be matched in the meeting itself. People came ready to engage.
JR was well known for rallying people, getting them to believe in what he was talking about. His passion was demonstrated because he really was behind his big vision and ambitions; he talked about ideas that were a long way into the future.
JR always did this in a caring and empathetic way. He was full of smiles. He liked bringing people together with diverse backgrounds from different industries, countries and cultures. He felt it made for more creative and innovative thinking. JR had the ability to make you feel like you were the only person that mattered at that time and in that moment.
The results in the story were not a fluke, as JR was well aware of his strengths and knew from experience that these strengths worked as a lever for team commitment. He was also consistent in his behaviours so you always knew what you could expect from him.
Unique leadership points can create a great impact on others and are made up of a combination of the following components:
- expertise and experience
- personality
- strengths
- reputation/brand
- intelligence
- sense of quickness, urgency
- appearance and physiology
- presence
- making people feel seen and heard
- motivation
5. Leadership radar – being really aware
Do not put your head in the sand
What happened (Stephen’s story)
It was time for the organisation to cut costs, again. This time, there was a real urgency to make an impact to the bottom line quickly. Stephen was being pushed hard to cut resources; that meant losing a large number of his people. It was August and he had to get the impact onto the bottom line by the end of the year, yes, the end of December. This was going to be tough in so many ways. Stephen knew what he had to do, but he really didn’t like being told exactly how to do it. These were big numbers he was being asked to cut.
Stephen had to hunker down and get on with the job. He did not feel comfortable; of course he could do it, he had carried out this kind of procedure many times in his career, but this time it was different.
Stephen had asked both Lewis and JR to join him at this company, luring them from their last company with a great package and promise of an exciting job and career. He remembered being enthusiastic and keen during their interviews and he knew he could persuade them to come and work for him. After all, they had always enjoyed working for him previously and they trusted him. Stephen respected Lewis and JR and the feeling was mutual.
Now here he was having to tell them they were being given three months’ notice and that they ‘may’ have a job at the end of it in the new reorganisation or they ‘may not’. Stephen knew who was going to make it and who was not. He could not tell them, though. So he decided to avoid them, not to put himself in that difficult situation.
JR was going to definitely make it, Stephen would make sure that he came through the interview rounds with the new panel and get a job at the end of it. He started to avoid JR and Lewis; he made himself busy when they tried to talk to him and he disappeared whenever either of them wanted to connect. Stephen just made himself unavailable, he simply disappeared. He was sure that he could get through this without any form of confrontation. Stephen knew what was coming, Lewis and JR did not.
The Impact it had (JR’s story)
I cannot believe that Stephen is avoiding me. I must have really upset him by something I have done in this new role. Maybe he thinks I cannot do my job. Maybe he is going to fire me because I have not lived up to his expectations. Stephen always did like the work I did in the last company, he was a walking ambassador for my work.
I just do not understand what I have done. I know he is upset with me because he is not being his normal energetic and enthusiastic self. He avoids eye contact and, last week, when I saw him in the corridor, he literally ran in the opposite direction. I am sure I am letting him down. I think I had better look for another job. I am feeling more convinced that he is going to get rid of me as part of the new cost cutting. I am not going to let that happen; I have a family to take care of so I am going to start looking seriously for a new position. He does not want me around and it is easy for him. I am last in and so I can be first out. I really think I have let him down in some way.
In this example, Stephen’s behaviour has a huge impact on JR. JR starts to create stories about what is happening as there is a void, a lack of information. Of course, Stephen cannot give him all the information as it is a confidential and complex process, but the way he is behaving, which is very opposite to the way he normally behaves, allows JR to form the wrong conclusions and Stephen is about to lose the one person he wants to stay in the organisation. So, what was Stephen’s impact and what else could he have done?
Stephen did not have his leadership radar engaged. His own emotions of fear and self-blame made him shut down and, therefore, unaware of his negative impact on JR.
To get a better result, he could have:
- faced the fear and got on with it
- planned for the ongoing communication that is always needed in times of change
- managed the informal communication: corridor chats and instant messaging
- reached out in some way, instead of withdrawing
- had a dialogue with JR and told him what he could tell him
- considered how his uncharacteristic behaviours might affect JR
JR could also have stepped up and approached Stephen and voiced his concerns, instead of making incorrect assumptions. In fact, this is true for any of us – whenever we find ourselves in that communication void, we can take responsibility for closing it rather than fuelling unsubstantiated doubts, hunches and rumours.
So what is a leadership radar? Well, just as a ship has a radar to detect what is going on around it, as a leader, you need to have your radar out to pick up what is happening in your inner world of self and outer world of people and environments. This can also be described as self-awareness and social awareness, which is at the core of emotional intelligence (EQ).
To switch on your internal leadership radar, you become aware of things like:
- how you feel
- what you are thinking
- your reactions
- what energises you
- what stresses you
- what your values are
- what motivates you
If you, for example, do not recognise that you are feeling stressed or frustrated, you will not be able to adjust your own behaviour to the situation you are in. If, on the other hand, you become more aware of what is going on inside you, you can take greater control of your state of mind and how that reflects outwards. You can take control of your own thoughts, feelings, actions and behaviours so that your impact on others is what you want it to be.
Do you want your impact to be inspiring, engaging, energising, thought-provoking, provocative, collaborative, enlightening, daring, different? Whatever impact you are going for, engage your inner world first.
To switch on your external leadership radar, you need to observe, listen and explore the world around you to better understand the environment, situations, moods, interests and political/social landscape. This might mean getting to know people you are working with much better than you do now.
Effective system thinking, using your leadership radar
Once your radar is on, you need to understand the system you are in. When it comes to system thinking, usually, there are two main systems to consider, the internal system of the organisation and the external system, which is everything outside the organisation that touches it in some way. We would also add the ‘inner system’ of self (see Chapter 1). These three systems, when interlinked, show the complete picture of your ripple effect as a leader. By understanding each of them, you can consciously choose how to behave, act and communicate in order to influence and achieve the strategic aim of the organisation.
Being aware of your personal values
How do you feel when doing something or reacting to something? Chances are, if it feels good, you are doing something that is in line with your values.
And, if it does not, you are probably doing something that goes against your values.
Awareness of your values allows for better decisions and more conscious impact. If you know your values, you can tap into them more intentionally. Values are, for most people, both conscious and subconscious. You may be aware of some of them, but probably not all. What is good to think about, though, is that, whatever they are, they will drive your behaviours, and mainly in a subconscious way. This is why you absolutely need to know what they are so that you can judge how they create the results you get.
You will always act in line with your values, whether you know it or not. You have values for a reason, whether you know them or not. So they have an impact and effect on the way you behave. You can feel positive when working with your values or not positive when you are working against them. If you feel positive, then you will create that feeling and reaction in others too. If you feel negative, then you create that feeling in others. So, if you know your values and can work with them, you will take much more control of your impact.
You can be more impactful when acting in congruence with your values. Others see you as more authentic and, therefore, buy more into what you are saying – creating followership. When you act with your values, you are being very authentic. There is a calm and sense of powerful presence that comes from acting in alignment with your values. Other people can see that you are congruent, and your confidence shines through.
Personal values are powerful and the potential pitfall comes when having a value clash with someone else or when you are consciously or subconsciously disrespecting someone else’s values. This can cause a negative impact, creating retaliation and revenge.
Values clash
Anna truly believed that people should be treated with respect. She did not think that Samuel had just done that when he shouted at her team member, Christine, across the hallway. Samuel was calling out from his office across the entire open-plan office to ask for some financial reports that he wanted right now. And, from his tone, it was very clear that he meant ‘right now’. His voice was highly pitched, angry, with a bark to it. Everyone could hear it. The whole department was almost holding its breath waiting for the response.
Christine very calmly picked up her laptop and took it into Samuel’s office. Anna could feel the rage inside her, how dare Samuel speak to people in that way. It was outrageous and she was not going to let it happen. Now Anna was filled with frustration and was on her way to Samuel’s office. Before she could stop herself, she had closed the door. She had to tell him the impact he had just had on her and the many people around them. And also how fast that message would get communicated to others around the business. It was not acceptable to Anna so she wanted Samuel to be aware of the impact he had. Samuel explained that he simply wanted a quick reaction and was keen and driven to achieve a fast result at that moment; he was being put under pressure from his boss, Stephen, and he tried to explain to Anna how it was not his intention to upset her or, indeed, anyone else. He had just been trying to get a fast result.
In this example, Anna had strong values of treating others with respect and dignity. Her values prompted a reaction from her to behave in a way aligned to her values – she did it in a respectful way herself. Samuel’s values of being direct, driven and acting with a sense of urgency wanting to deliver fast results had a different impact on Anna and was not what he had intended. He had good intentions behind his values, but Anna did not experience it that way.
Just because values are not aligned does not mean you cannot have impact. What you need to do is respect others’ values and find some common ground, a shared reason or outcome, where the other party feels respected and heard.
It is better to have an impact through respect and people feeling seen and heard, than to have impact through fear where people feel forced or coerced to do something. The first kind is self-generating and lasting, whereas the latter does not build commitment, loyalty, trust or longevity – people will not go that extra mile for you.
THE EFFECT ON CULTURE
Culture is a hot word in organisations. Everyone talks about it, many want to change the culture but find it is about as easy as finding a needle in haystack. This is because culture cannot be captured in processes, policies and procedures. Culture can be aided by a sensible infrastructure, but is, ultimately, shaped by people’s behaviours and nothing else.
There is always a culture, wherever you work (just like any society is guided by its cultural norms) and the culture can either be left to its own devices or it can be consciously created, adjusted, tweaked or changed. You decide.
Transformational change happens at a behavioural level
So what is culture?
Culture simply determines ‘how things get done around here’. It is usually implicit rather than explicit. It is not the ‘what’, it is the ‘how’ of business. It is how people react, behave and interact every minute of every day. It is not determined by a framed poster on the wall in reception, it is more complex than that. And this is the challenge with culture; the concept is simple but the implementation can be very complex as habits die hard and to change behaviours takes time. The leaders and their impact have a huge part in shaping this.
So where does culture start?
Leaders at all levels have a responsibility when it comes to the organisation’s culture, but the buck stops with the CEO and the senior leadership team. Everyone’s behaviours shape the culture, but the behaviours that are displayed by and accepted or even rewarded by leaders are the biggest culture shapers. They impact the culture the most.
The ‘bad’ culture shaper
Imagine a CEO who speaks about the value of transparency and openness, but who goes behind his executives’ backs, sharing certain things only with his ‘trusted few’. The executives that experience this become cautious, thinking it is not about transparency at all – I’d better tread carefully around here from now on. These executives, in turn, become less transparent with their teams, who become disenchanted by the false behaviours (not in line with the values) of their leaders. That is how leaders shape culture.
The ‘good’ culture shaper
Imagine a company that says it values and respects people’s work–life balance. The leaders then reward and praise people who work smarter and within work hours, and work together in teams to achieve. They are rewarding what they value not what they do not value (they are not rewarding people who work long hours and sacrifice their personal lives). That is how leaders shape culture.
Culture should be on every board’s, executive team’s and leader’s agenda. Leaders at all levels set the tone for ‘how things get done’. Culture starts at the top, but cannot just be dictated from the top. It needs to resonate with people at all levels as something they would ‘stand for’ themselves.
So leaders who want to maximise the power that is culture must look to themselves first: How am I behaving? What messages am I sending through my behaviours? What behaviours am I creating in others? And then start changing and adapting their behaviours, creating new habits, if needed, to create the desired culture.
In a clear, strong, healthy culture, people know exactly how to operate and this helps them to act with integrity for the good of all constituents. This is the only way to long-term success.
Culture is not soft and fluffy – it is the strongest driving force of an organisation. How you behave as a leader and what behaviours you accept in others become the culture – make sure you are consistent by role modelling and rewarding the right behaviours. Leaders impact culture, full stop.
We have added ‘The effect on culture, to the end of each of our chapters to keep the focus on your cultural impact.
There’s no greater gift than thinking that you had some impact on the world, for the better.