360 Degree Leadership Part 3 Lead Across

This is Part 3 of my notes from a class I took earlier this week at GiANT IMPACT in Atlanta, GA. The class was based on content from John Maxwell’s book 360 Degree Leadership. Check out the earlier post for parts 1 & 2 here:

Part 1

Part 2

Lead Across

Today we will examine the tools needed to lead across your organization with your peers. Some find this process even more difficult to handle than leading up due to the competition factor that often arises in these relationships. Many times you and your peers perceive one another as competitors for future promotions and as a result you often end up pitted against one another. This is not healthy for the organization optimal success even though some leaders actually prompt such competition thinking it will cause team members to perform at their highest level.

3 Critical Aspects of leading across

1. Understand, practice and complete the leadership loop

2. Put completing fellow leaders ahead of competing with them

3. Expand your circle of acquaintances

1. Understand, practice and complete the leadership loop: This is a process of developing more effective and productive relationships with your peers in order to lead across effectively. The object here is to measure where you stand with each of your peers on this journey and work with each to move further through the process with each one to develop winning relationships the make the entire organization more successful.

• Step 1 Caring: I take an interest in this person.

• Step 2 Learning: I have taken time to get to know this person well.

• Step 3 Appreciating: I have come to truly appreciate and respect this person for his unique skills and experiences.

• Step 4 Contributing: I add value to this person by contributing to her growth or by filling her gaps.

• Step 5 Verbalizing: The affirmations I give this person help him believe in himself.

• Step 6 Leading: By practicing all of the skills listed above, I have earned the opportunity to have significant influence with this person.

• Step 7 Succeeding: By practicing all of these leadership skills, I lead this person in a way that allows us to constantly win together.

2. Put completing fellow leaders ahead of competing with them: Maxwell challenges us to recalibrate our thinking of our relationship with our peers from one of competition over to one of completion. What can you do to complete your fellow leaders?

Competing Mindset

• Scarcity mindset

• Me first

• Destroys Trust

• Thinks win-lose

• Single thinking (my good ideas)

• Excluding others

Completing Mindset

• Abundance Mindset

• Organization first

• Develops trust

• Thinks win-win

• Shared thinking (our great ideas)

• Including others

In your organization who could you complete?

Who do you need to complete you?

3. Expand your circle of influence: Your value as a leader in the middle will grow and increase as you get out of your own comfort-zone and expand your relationships.

What things keep us from expanding our circles?

1. Fear of rejection

2. Time

3. Apathy

4. Comfort Zone

5. Takes effort and energy

Action step: Think of how you might expand your circle of acquaintances by intentionally taking steps to get to know some people in your organization at a deeper level and also reach and meet someone new that you might be able to add value too. This will help you take your focus off of yourself and expand your circle of influence in the process.

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