Smart Power – Do You Have It!
Smart Power! Have you heard the term? At the personal level, it means the ability to continuously learn new things and adapt to new situations in order to successfully navigate through complex change. It’s hard to pick up a current business magazine without reading that “new demands, changes in organizational business models and the emergence of a global market economy all call for companies to acquire a “new” knowledge that enables them to look at more innovative ways to grow, remain competitive and prosper.” Again, this means having Smart Power.But this time, they are referring to the capacity to create and sustain a broader learning environment within your team and your organization.
So, this thing called Smart Power … do you have it? Would you write Smart Power on your resume as one of your key strengths? Probably not, as it is a relatively new term. But, if I asked, “Are you a continuous learner?”, would you be able to answer that? Still not sure? Well, here are a few questions that might help you out:
- Are you aware of how others perceive you? What did they think the last time you pitched an idea at a meeting? What did they think of your last presentation? How seriously do they take your ideas? How much influence do they think you have and with whom?
- Do you reach out and ask for feedback regarding your effectiveness as a leader? When is the last time you did a 360? Did you ask people to assess the effectiveness and ROI of your last staff meeting? Do you have your personal “Board of Directors” who can tell you how well you’re doing and what folks are saying about you as a leader?
- Do you focus as much on expanding your knowledge base as you do on delivering the results? Do you do your own version of “Best Practices” and “Lessons Learned” after a major project has been completed? Are you determined to learn something new everyday? What have you learned this week that makes you a better leader?
- Do you make a point of getting out of your comfort zone once in awhile? Do you take on new roles or engage with different teams? When was the last time you volunteered to do something totally different than your normal job? How often do you volunteer to help out on other projects?
- Do you look to other leaders as a source of new insights, fresh perspectives and alternative strategies? Do you have at least 5 – 6 mentors who can help you grow and develop? Are you constantly looking to see what you can learn from the folks that you are mentoring?
If you answered “Yes “to all 5 questions, you are a pro at this thing called Smart Power. You are truly a continuous learner and you are in a great position to build the same kind of continuous learning environment for your team and organization!However, if you answered any my questions with …”Not so much”…..here are six areas that I illustrate in more detail in my book, Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton www.shambaughleadership.com. I hope they will serve as a helpful springboard for building your Smart Power:
1) Continuously Build Your Self Awareness
Research and experience tell us that what makes each of us a great leader is the capacity to look inward and gain a clear understanding of our values, assumptions, beliefs, as well as our strengths and weaknesses. This calls for taking time out to gain a strong self-awareness of who we are – the vision we have for our life which translates into the conversations people have about us and the footprint that we leave behind. Taking self-awareness to the next level requires us to gain feedback on our leadership effectiveness and reputation.
Some questions to consider when seeking this kind of feedback are: How are you doing? What results are you getting? What are your strengths and weakness? What are your blind spots? (Often times, being told about your blind spots can help you gain greater respect and credibility!) What do others see as your unique value proposition? Remember that the more you know about how others are perceiving you, the better you can gauge how effective you are really being as a leader.
One of the best ways to gain this constructive feedback from others is to engage in a 360 feedback assessment and then work with a coach to help you address those areas that are critical to your success. Or, reach out to someone you trust and respect and ask them to observe you in a variety of work situations and then debrief with them. The bottom line is- don’t operate in a vacuum!
2) Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
Some of our greatest break-throughs come when we take risks. And, ironically, it doesn’t matter if we succeed or fail, because it’s not the outcome that provides the developmental experience, it’s the journey and what we learn along the way. In fact, many studies tell us that one of the greatest factors impacting our personal growth is learning from our mistakes. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “If you haven’t failed, you haven’t led.”
When I’m talking to leaders about this, I often ask them to tell me about a time in their lives when they learned the greatest lessons or had their greatest break-throughs. Just about every story I hear involves an experience where they took a risk. So, try some new things!
And, I’ve found that it’s easier to take risks when you are truly committed or passionate about something. When I’ve taken risks in my career, because I really wanted to do something, these experiences made me stronger, more confident, even more competent and, most importantly, open to new opportunities that I never would have considered otherwise.
Taking risks also requires us to be prudent. Map out the worst thing that can happen and then build a contingency plan around it.Be open to reaching out to others for support or advice – someone who can be a mentor or good source of information for you. With each experience where you reach out of your comfort zone, be sure to ask yourself: What did I learn from this? What did I do well, and what would I do differently?
Finally don’t be discouraged if you make a few mistakes. We all do!
3) Do Your Homework
I remember in school that studying before an exam gave me more confidence than just showing up and taking the test at the last minute. The same goes for taking on a new project or new role at work. It’s important to do your homework! Being prepared not only gets you better results as a leader, but it also gains you a great deal of credibility and respect. In my first book, It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, it’s a Sticky Floor, I linked doing your homework with being politically savvy. The more you understand something, the better equipped you are to figure out how to deal with it. So consider the following questions when doing your homework for taking on a new project or addressing a new issue:
- What’s the context?
- Who are the key players? What do they want to know and not know?
- Where can I provide value?
- Who has the power and influence in the decision making process?
- What is the outcome I would like, what are the potential barriers and what is the process for getting there?
The more you do your homework, the more confident you will be and the more confidence others with have in you.
4) Learn From Others
I have always been a curious person and have had many mentors along the way. Some have been sources of information, others I have simply observed in action and many have given me feedback that has been invaluable. The one thing they all had in common is that each had something to teach me. In today’s environment, it’s hard to succeed and be optimally effective at what you do by working in a vacuum. One of the greatest ways to expand your thinking and be of greater value to others is to constantly engage with people you can learn from. Whether it’s our customers, colleagues, employees or community leaders, engaging with them with the intention of learning from them helps us to better understand what’s going on and how to have the greatest impact as a leader.
In my previous book, It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, It’s a Sticky Floor, I encouraged readers to consider having their own “Board of Directors.” These are people whom you respect and trust that can provide helpful advice, provide honest feedback and can stretch your thinking in more creative ways. Over 6 years ago, I started a group called the Executive Summit. They represent a diverse group of women CEO’s and senior executives who meet every other month and openly share difficult business cases in order to receive advice from peers who might have a helpful perspective. While I officially facilitate the group, I also reap the benefit of their experience and expertise and I find these sessions invaluable.
Start identifying people who can either be a great advisor or keep you informed about important changes or who might even serve as your personal Board of Directors. It takes a village of mentors and a broader body of knowledge than you can achieve on your own to accomplish great things as a leader.
5) Leverage Smart Power within Your Organization
As I mentioned earlier, having Smart Power also means having the capacity to create and sustain a broader learning environment and culture within your teams and organizations. SHAMBAUGH works with a number of organizations to help them leverage the diversity of knowledge and experience of their workforce by introducing a set of unconventional techniques that generate open and collaborative discussions, encourage team work-outs, and initiate cross-mentoring exchanges. This approach has enabled organizations to promote both organizational and personal transformation by creating opportunities for mutual inquiry and creative brainstorming while also promoting success stories that can be pushed-out across the organization.
At one company, we created what we called “enterprise smart-thinking” sessions that allowed people to see critical business challenges as an opportunity for growth and learning. These forums encouraged managers from across functional departments to participate in “time to market” product teams. These teams generated new processes and creative techniques that led to “breakthrough” thinking and allowed the company to move beyond the traditional way of doing things. These teams leveraged Smart Power across the organization.
So, to summarize, here are 5 things to remember, for building your Smart Power through continuous learning:
- Raise your self-awareness regarding your leadership effectiveness
- Get out of your comfort zone, try new things and learn from your mistakes
- Do your homework
- Be curious and learn from others
- Leverage Smart Power within your team and organization
If you would like to begin your journey of continuous learning, our SHAMBAUGH coaches can help you get started; or, to hear me speak on Leadership and Resilience on June 8th, visit the event page, or contact me at rshambaugh@shambaughleadership.com.
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