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ImpactBank’s The Kickass Koach podcast supports emerging senior leaders in the non-profit sector who want to quickly master the art and practice of leadership. When you were promoted into a senior position, if you’re like most people, you were immediately excited b
y the opportunity. You also soon realized the immense, even daunting, challenge ahead of you.
You quickly had feelings of being lost, overwhelmed and very alone. It is completely understandable – you need to find your leadership rhythm. We help you find your leadership presence – one that will both command a room and warm hearts so people want to follow you and exceed your expectations – then you will know what it feels like to really make an impact.
ImpactBank’s “ON YOUR MARK…” 3 month program focuses exclusively on the first 90-180 days to give you a powerful start as a new senior leader. ImpactBank’s “THE IMPACT BUMP” 18 month program is for leaders who want to take the ‘kick-start” to a whole new level. We exclusively work with leaders in their first two years in role so we specialize here.
Week 37: Diversity is Personal
As much as we are more alike than different – it is in our differences where all the opportunity rests. It is your responsibility as a leader to learn how to mine for these opportunities – this is where the advantage is.
In the ImpactBank diversity program we categorize diversity under three banners: human (which is where we typically limit our talk on diversity because it really reflects who we ARE) which includes marital status, race, ethnicity, age, physical ability, and even sexual orientation to name but a few. IT IS IMPORTANT to note that not every person who is the same age or race or marital status views the world exactly the same way OR is completely alike; cultural or cognitive (which often reflects how we think or process things) doesn’t make people homogeneous – this category includes differences in language, religion, work style, ethics/values, historical differences to name a very small sampling; systems or behavioral (reflecting how we do things) including differences like education, work sector and profession. Elements like personality, character strengths, and preferences seem to cross over all three banners.
Who we are (human), how we think and process (cultural/cognitive) and how we do things (systems/behavioral) are all broader ways we are diverse.
YOU NEED TO MOVE THE NEEDLE.
As the leader, the responsibility is yours. SO, you must act:
- Using your skills to observe the dynamic between yourself and your team members AND between team members.
- Identify the beliefs that are generating the healthy and unhealthy components in the relationship.
- Focus on influencing the beliefs – reinforcing the healthy and shifting the unhealthy
It sounds so much easier than it is and yet once you become attuned to the dynamic it will become a powerful skill that will carry you a long way as a leader. It is one of the key components to being a change agent.
The Relationship Dynamic
As a leader you are ultimately responsible for the dynamic in your organization. It is one of the most daunting challenges you will encounter. So often I am asked first about managing the budget. Yes managing a budget and strategically allocating resources is a key component to leadership. HOWEVER, management of money, while important, pales in comparison to learning how to influence your HUMAN RESOURCE. There are tricks and tips to stretching a dollar and winning new funding and they are simpler, BY FAR when compared to bringing out the best in people. When, as a leader, you recognize this you are ready to make huge strides to being a stand out leader.
There is NO WAY we can look at all aspects of interpersonal elements related to diversity in one episode and post so I encourage you to start exploring using the three components of diversity discussed here.
What You Can Do
Practice Quiet Leadership – observe more than you comment and look for evidence that your belief or bias may be wrong. (Maybe you could pull back from chairing any meetings for one week, inviting members of your team to take the lead AND simply observe how the team engages.- Challenge your judgments. Who is the person on your team who BUGS you or PUSHES your buttons frequently? Honestly challenge your judgments and see what you learn about yourself.
- Closely examine your hiring practices to see if you could make them more open to difference.
- Identify at least one counterproductive belief and develop a strategy to limit its impact.
Leadership mastery begins with awareness and your ability to acknowledge your own self-limitations. Your strengths and limitations are played out through your interpersonal relationships making this the playground for you to make an impact as a leader.
ImpactBank Diversity Program
Would you benefit?
We tailor the program to the organization’s and leader’s specific needs and current challenges.
Are there conflicts that persist between stakeholder groups or within specific work groups?
Do you routinely experience poor compliance rates? (In other words, are there requirements that workers just fail to meet on a regular basis? Do you have poor attendance or high attrition rates? Are there constantly mistakes made in working with stakeholders?)
Do you find yourself frustrated because you have to say the same things over and over and you can’t get people to take critical requirements seriously?
Are there conflicts bubbling beneath the surface?