His voice betrayed his frustration as he spoke. Others don’t seem to listen or care about his ideas for moving the team forward. He wanted so badly to be seen as a leader, but no-one seemed to take him very seriously. How can he contribute fully to the success of his team?
- I have so many ideas how to help my team, my department, my organization improve
- I really care about helping our team be successful, but no-one values what I have to say
This dilemma is all-too-common. We have trouble getting traction for our Personal Leadership Brand with our leaders and colleagues. We have so much to offer, but every time we try our words seem to fall on deaf ears. In cases like this, sometimes the solution is simple but not easy.
Why don’t they trust my ideas?
If you see yourself in the individual described above, I commend you for your desire to contribute beyond your own job role. This is a quality that every employee should have. However, in order to be able to contribute beyond your current role, you need to first demonstrate and communicate more than competence. You need to build a reputation – Personal Leadership Brand – of being reliable for your current responsibilities.
Why can’t my leader hear me?
Let’s first address the environment into which you are likely working in. As mundane as it sounds, we are all hired to perform a certain job. Your leader’s job is to ensure your team accomplishes certain things day after day, month after month. These may be communicated and evaluated in terms of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), goals, objectives, outcomes, etc. The leader also has constraints on their time, budget, head count, etc. In light of your leader’s focus on the team’s required outcomes, what can you do to be seen as someone who is ready for additional responsibilities and who has solid ideas for the future?
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What can I do to create an environment where my input is valued?
One of the most effective methods of helping a leader increase their ability to be seen as someone who is capable of more responsibility is to use Stephen R. Covey’s Spheres of Influence Model from his book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
- Focus the majority of your physical and mental efforts on things you have direct Control.
This typically involves things in your job. When you build a reputation for being reliable for the things you have control over, others trust you. You become seen as someone who can take on more (expanding your area of Control) and your areas of Influence will alsop naturally expand. - Do not spend your efforts on things that Concern you, but over which you have no Control or Influence. These are things that worry or concern you, but over which you can do nothing about. This is the area where you feel most frustration. Center yourself by thinking of what aspects you have Control or Influence. Just set the rest aside. You will actually feel more effective when you set the things you cannot affect aside.
- Test areas where you can Influence that border on what you can Control. This is where you offer an idea or suggestion to see if the person who has Control or Influence to implement it is interested and wants to hear more. If they don’t, just realize you found one limit of your influence. Keep looking for other areas, while staying grounded in the area of Control. The secret is that if you do 1 and 2, your areas of Influence and Control will expand over time.
These three steps are effective on many levels. It reduces your frustration while you build positive perceptions about your Personal Leadership Brand.
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