The leader of high performing teams called by David Clutterbuck the Secure Leader, who is able to think about and use constructive and positive politics and have the confidence to let go. While insecure leaders tend to operate in the political arena in a more destructive and negative way.
How can you recognise the Secure Leader?
- They don’t feel the need to control.
- They don’t manage large team, they rather support team members in managing themselves.
- They don’t expect to be keep informed about everything or to re-route information between members of the team.
- They protect their team from distraction from outside.
- They ensure that everyone understands and is aligned with the overall team goals.
- Their self-security make them open to feedback from team members.
- They have a ‘growth mindset’, focus on both their own development and that of their team.
- They care both about the team goals, but also about each of the team members as individuals.
“Organisational politics are informal, unofficial, and sometimes behind the scene efforts to sell ideas, influence an organisation, increase power or achieve other targeted objectives. Neither good or bad, the two conditions determine whether those politics become constructive or destructive depend on whether the targeted objectives are for the company’s interest or purely self-interest; and whether the influence efforts used to achieve those objectives have integrity or not.” Brandon, R. & Seldman, M (2004)
There is a difference between being political and having political awareness. Leaders need the latter to achieve desired outcomes while remaining authentic.
If you answer the following questions you can raise your political awareness in your organisation:
- What is and isn’t possible within current resources and organisational climate?
- What rules it is necessary to stick to and which rules it is acceptable to work around and in what circumstances?
- What are the predominant attitudes and myths within the organisation?
- What are both the formal and informal decision-making processes?
- Which networks, groups and individuals have significant influence?
- Which behaviours attract positive and negative comments?
- How the organisation reacts to and deals with mistakes?
- What issues top management prefers to avoid?
- How to gain access to decision-makers and budget holders?
And three more questions for you to better manage politics:
- What principles will you not let go of?
- How can you ensure you are aware of the undercurrents in the organisation?
- What resources can you marshal to block damaging, politically motivated change?
Source: David Clutterbuck at 7th World Business and Executive Summit