Co-Elevation In the Workplace

 

What can combat the Quiet Quitting that is happening in the workplace? 

COVID-19 has shifted the way the world does business and it might be changing the way the world sees and follows leadership. There is a new trend out there in the workplace called lateral leadership. 

As you think of your dream culture does it include a hierarchy of leadership or is it more organic? 

Lateral Leadership is a new kind of leadership for these times. Lateral leadership means leadership without disciplinary leadership, without authority. The guide direction is not limited from top to bottom. Lateral or peer leadership has an explicit effect on the horizontal level. Everyone has leadership responsibilities towards their colleagues. It does not matter where they are located in the artificial hierarchy. This explicitly includes the direction of the employee to the boss. The great challenge for employees is to recognize the importance of their own leadership and to take responsibility for it and to find ways and ways to do it.

Lateral leadership is a step in the right direction when it comes to not allowing Quiet Quitters to run the workplace.

Job titles do not equate to leadership skills. Many people have experienced this first hand. 

So why does lateral leadership work so well? Imagine a team that all works well together. They are in sync with each other and they all help each other be their best. 

Lateral Leadership is about crafting a vision, understanding the drivers and motivations of your peers, strengthening relationships, and building coalitions. It's about knowing the best next step for the organization and assembling the team to get there -- all without line authority or mandates.

This concept of lateral leadership is also being referred to as co-elevation. This is a new concept to many of us but inherently we all want each other to win. When a company does this, all the players win.  

Best, 

Manal

Quiet Firing is a New Trend!

Many of us have heard of quiet quitting, but quiet firing is trending too.  The newest trend in corporate leadership circles is the discussion around Quiet Firing. 

In the last six months we have started to hear the term Quiet Quitting and how employees don't have an ownership mentality but an "I'll do the minimum" mentality. 

If your leader’s attitude toward you has shifted and/or you feel your work is criticized more than usual, you might be experiencing it.

There has been a long-standing gap between the idea of having a great boss in the workplace and yet it is very possible. Just over half of workers leave their employment because of their boss. 

Quiet Firing is the act of intentionally treating workers badly so they leave their jobs.

Some things leaders can do to ensure their management team isn't intentionally or unintentionally doing Quiet Firing are: 

• Communicate the company mission, vision, and values.

• Ensure employees know they can talk to Human Resources or Senior Management

• Bring this up in Management meetings so peers can help keep other Managers accountable. 

• Have employees self-manage. Where they are evaluating themselves on every aspect of their job and bring it to the leadership team for feedback.

What can staff members do? 

• Speak to your manager directly 

• Look for others to help advocate for you

• Do your homework on the company policies (Employee handbook, etc)

• Start or join an employee resource group

• Create a self-managed culture where peers help each other be their best. 

Remember the world has changed and with it comes new behaviors, mindsets, and attitudes. Leaders are human too and perhaps they need someone to help them too.  Don’t be a victim of Quiet Firing and certainly don’t be the person doing it. Awareness is key when it comes to leadership and creating a culture that works for everyone in it.

Best, 

Manal

What Can Leadership Do about Quiet Quitting?

What can combat the Quiet Quitting that is happening in the workplace? 

COVID-19 has shifted the way the world does business and it might be changing the way the world sees and follows leadership. There is a new trend out there in the workplace called lateral leadership. 

As you think of your dream culture does it include a hierarchy of leadership or is it more organic? 

Lateral Leadership is a new kind of leadership for these times. Lateral leadership means leadership without disciplinary leadership, without authority. The guide direction is not limited from top to bottom. Lateral or peer leadership has an explicit effect on the horizontal level. Everyone has leadership responsibilities towards their colleagues. It does not matter where they are located in the artificial hierarchy. This explicitly includes the direction of the employee to the boss. The great challenge for employees is to recognize the importance of their own leadership and take responsibility for it and find ways and ways to do it.

Lateral leadership is a step in the right direction when it comes to not allowing Quiet Quitters to run the workplace.

Job titles do not equate to leadership skills. Many people have experienced this firsthand. 

So why does lateral leadership work so well? Imagine a team that all works well together. They are in sync with each other and they all help each other be their best. 

Lateral Leadership is about crafting a vision, understanding the drivers and motivations of your peers, strengthening relationships, and building coalitions. It's about knowing the best next step for the organization and assembling the team to get there -- all without line authority or mandates.

This concept of lateral leadership is also referred to as co-elevation. This is a new concept to many of us but inherently we all want each other to win. When a company does this, all the players win.  

Best, 

Manal

COVID-19 has shifted the way the world does business and it might be changing the way the world sees and follows leadership. There is a new trend out there in the workplace called lateral leadership. 

As you think of your dream culture does it include a hierarchy of leadership or is it more organic? 

Lateral Leadership is a new kind of leadership for these times. Lateral leadership means leadership without disciplinary leadership, without authority. The guide direction is not limited from top to bottom. Lateral or peer leadership has an explicit effect on the horizontal level. Everyone has leadership responsibilities towards their colleagues. It does not matter where they are located in the artificial hierarchy. This explicitly includes the direction of the employee to the boss. The great challenge for employees is to recognize the importance of their own leadership and take responsibility for it and find ways and ways to do it.

Lateral leadership is a step in the right direction when it comes to not allowing Quiet Quitters to run the workplace.

Job titles do not equate to leadership skills. Many people have experienced this firsthand. 

So why does lateral leadership work so well? Imagine a team that all works well together. They are in sync with each other and they all help each other be their best. 

Lateral Leadership is about crafting a vision, understanding the drivers and motivations of your peers, strengthening relationships, and building coalitions. It's about knowing the best next step for the organization and assembling the team to get there -- all without line authority or mandates.

This concept of lateral leadership is also referred to as co-elevation. This is a new concept to many of us but inherently we all want each other to win. When a company does this, all the players win.  

Best, 

Manal

How Many Leadership Styles Are There?

When you go to Google and you ask “How many types of leadership styles are there?”, Google will respond with things like: 

• 4 Leadership Styles in Business: Leadership Style Quiz 
• How to Lead: 6 Leadership Styles and Frameworks
• 7 Leadership Styles and How to Find Your Own
• 8 Common Leadership Styles (and How to Find Yours)
• 10 Common Leadership Styles (Plus How To Find Yours)
• 11 Leadership Styles (plus how to find your own) 

So how many leadership styles are there? In my opinion, there are two. One that works and one that doesn’t.

So where do the varying 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 11 leadership styles come from? 

They come from people moving into leadership roles carrying with them their background of experiences and their values and personality styles.

These are the characteristics every leader should strive to create in their culture. They should be able to build relationships both internally and externally. They will have a heart for continual and never-ending people development. We are either growing or staying put. If we stay put too long, skills/mindsets, and outlooks become stagnant. 

Leaders lead change. Nothing stays the same. In an ever-changing world, change is inevitable and necessary.  In leading change, leaders will naturally inspire others. Getting buy-in to ideas, concepts, goals, and actions is what great leaders do. They are able to move the masses in the same direction. 

Leaders think critically. They take the data and make the wisest decision they can at the moment and shift to new decisions as needed. They look at all angles, and factors and take into consideration the global implications of their decisions. Most great leaders have coaches and advisors they seek counsel from. Great leaders are not an island doing life alone. They involve others in their processes and when needed, they make critical decisions. 

Great leaders communicate clearly and create accountability for each and every person in the organization.  In order to move the masses, written and verbal communication must take place and people need to know what is required of them for the whole organization to reach their goals.

So whether you think there are two styles of leadership or more. You’ll know how effective you really are when you measure the environment and culture you have built.

Best, 

Manal

Leading with Perseverance

When things become tough, either at work or in life, it requires grit and perseverance. The road to success is rarely a bed of roses, and it takes hard work and patience to see things through. The only way out is through it.

Perseverance simply means “continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition: the action or condition or an instance of persevering”: steadfastness (Merriam-Webster). 

We know perseverance is essential in work because it allows people to continue working towards their goals even when things get tough.  It allows individuals to develop the necessary skills that will elevate them to the next level. There is a tendency to want to help others eliminate or reduce their struggle, and in doing so, we may unintentionally deprive them of necessary growth.

Instead of rescuing others, we can support them in ways that give them the fortitude to carry on and move through the challenge, resulting in a renewed sense of self-confidence and belief.

Perseverance helps you build character and reap rewards that are everlasting. Here are the top three qualities Perseverant Leaders possess:

1. They Keep Asking Why
   People who persevere are the ones who continue to ask ‘why’. It serves as a constant motivator and keeps you on track. It can be as simple as: why am I doing this? The more you remind yourself, the clearer your purpose gets. This is the fuel that moves you forward.

 

2. They Have Self-Belief
   You may have heard people say: if you don’t believe in yourself, how will they? If you want to achieve anything, you need to believe in your skills and abilities. Successful leaders understand the connection between self-belief and the change they want to make in the world. Fostering your self-belief is developed through perseverance.

3. They Make Room For Vulnerability
   It isn’t easy to face your failures, and it especially isn’t easy to ask for help. Successful people persevere because they know how to learn from their mistakes and overcome setbacks. Instead of giving up, they know how to pick themselves up and ask for help. They aren’t afraid of being vulnerable and reaching out to others in times of need.  

In today’s world, leaders have to consistently challenge their mindset, remain flexible and creative in how they solve issues and persevere with vulnerability. Brene Brown says, “Vulnerability is the best measure of courage”.  

Best, 

Manal

How Feedback Helps Teams Grow

 

Every great leader has a different mix of skills and personality traits that allow them to thrive in this role. Some are extroverts, and some are introverts. Some are collaborative and others are authoritative. They have all worked on developing certain traits of a good leader. These traits allow them to take decisive action, inspire others and communicate a powerful vision. You can too.

The two characteristics we’ll look at today are of Humility and Creativity. Both are required in a questionable, rapidly changing business environment. Being able to change pace quickly is a skill that is mandatory for the success of today’s teams.

Humility is one of the oft-misunderstood leadership attributes that’s actually critical for heading any type of team. Humility is one of the top leadership qualities, but it doesn’t mean being a doormat. Humility shapes your character so that you’re able to embrace your own weaknesses without losing confidence. From this place of self-respect, you’re receptive to others’ feedback, which opens you up to new ideas and solutions. Humility also softens you to genuine connections with other people because it makes you approachable. You’re able to interact with your team, customers, and colleagues from a place of shared humanity, which breaks down communication barriers.

Creativity is one of the most underrated leadership attributes. Yet especially in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing market, it’s actually one of the top leadership qualities in successful businesses. That’s because creativity and innovation go hand in hand. Both are essential to finding your differentiating factor and ensuring that you stand out from the competition.

Companies are creating open work environments that allow the employees and the leaders to work together in collaboration. In our digital, hybrid world, people are on zoom or other video conferencing systems that allow people to be in their own space where they are comfortable. This also tends to lend to the creativity of a team. 

In reference to feedback (and remaining humble), in moments of receiving hard feedback is typically what has allowed those around me to grow the most. When people are growing, they tend to be more creative. Remember this as a leader. Do not be afraid of giving feedback to help your teams grow, be creative, and thrive. 

Best, 

Manal

Building an Ownership Culture

 

As much as all of us aim for perfection and to never have anything go wrong, as a leader, you’re going to make mistakes. It isn’t the mistakes themselves that are terrible, it is how they are handled typically. Taking ownership for your mistakes is a key leadership distinction.

Blaming others, justifying your actions or pretending like mistakes never happened erodes trust among your team and will discourage them from being accountable for their own mistakes. Great leaders take more than their share of blame and less than their share of credit, which creates an organizational culture of accountability, trust, empathy and humility. 

When you’re accountable, you can also hold your team accountable for their actions, ultimately creating a sense of responsibility that will keep them continually striving for their personal – and your business’ – goals.

As surprising as this may seem, the logic is straightforward. When you want to connect with someone, having empathy allows you to discern whether you’ve gotten your message across. When you’re able to see another person’s perspective, you’re able to predict the effect your words and actions will have on them.

Without empathy, the reverse happens and you risk alienating the very people you’re attempting to create connections with, whether they’re your customers, employees, colleagues or competitors. Cultivating empathy is the precursor to almost every other soft skill required for leadership, from self-awareness to critical thinking.

Powerful leaders have a clear sense of purpose and are able to take their teams in the right direction.

Additionally, as they lead their group, they utilize strong leadership qualities to create a supportive sense of community for all who are involved. Becoming an empowering leader is about not only creating something that’s better for the group, but encouraging those around you to embrace their strong leadership attributes as well.

Best, 

Manal