Leadership beliefs that affect team performance

Reflecting on leadership beliefs

It's going to be important to re-create that spirit of open-hearted enquiry as you carry out these exercises. Just be curious - in a child-like way - about what is there.

Sounds woolly? Need some reassurance?

In more formal, academic circles (that take reflection on practitioner roles seriously as a generator of new knowledge) this posture is described as "naive competence" ... naive enough to ask the simple questions; competent enough to focus on what's important.

Permit any thoughts, observations and feelings to arise. If your censor pops up ("You don't believe that!") record the process of censure, too.

This keeps your capacity for simple, uncluttered awareness open.

Just set out to explore ... openly and candidly. Simply be curious about your own thoughts and feelings about these issues ... and start writing - as immediately and spontaneously as you can.

Now, let's re-state the issue: we act according to our beliefs. If we want to impact behaviour - permanently - we need to raise awareness of the beliefs that underpin it.

Unhelpful beliefs often succumb to this exposure to the clear light of day! It's amazing how much power to change is developed by simply becoming aware of underlying leadership beliefs.

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On training - an aside

The reason why much training rapidly busts back to the old status quo
is that it assumes that behaviour operates independently ... that behaviour can simply be modified.

Our view is that belief determines behaviour.

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Reflecting on your leadership beliefs

In order to work on your own leadership beliefs, we suggest you take some time out for a written reflective exercise.

Use the statements below as a stimulus.

This formula may help:

I believe [state the belief you are exploring]

Leads to [state the consequences for you - as a leader - in holding that belief]

Therefore [state the consequences for what you do / how you act as a leader]

Like this:

"I believe that a Machiavellian style of leadership has much to commend it. People perform far better when they're kept on their toes ... and you keep them guessing. In this business you never know what life's going to throw at you anyway. The occasional trick and game-playing from me just prepares them to deal with the unexpected."

or this:

"I believe that a Machiavellian style of leadership is basically manipulative and disrespectful - using game-playing to control people. This undermines their confidence and sense of self-worth. I prefer to be straight and tell it as it is. Then we can sit down and look for solutions openly ... all of us having equal access to the issues."

The exercise:

Read through these ideas. Pick out one or two that resonate with you. Identify the belief, the consequences for how you interpret situations ... and what you do as a result of those interpretations.

However, briefly ... write it down! Written reflections encourage you to be clear and bottom the issues out. The writing process also crystallizes ideas on the fringes of your consciousness, helping you to become aware of beliefs that operate unconsciously.

Awareness is the prize ... go for it!

How do leadership beliefs affect performance – for better or worse?

This became one of the key themes of the event.

The two small group sessions provided the opportunity for us to look more deeply into themes that interested us. We then shared our discoveries with the large group.

Here is a record of the leadership beliefs from the two small-group sessions.

Leadership beliefs that support high performance

You can achieve what you really do want to achieve.

High performance is about the team and what they do ... much more than the charismatic style of the leader.

Getting the best out of each staff member is about gaining their 'buy in' through personal interaction.

Leadership beliefs ... what's best is when you understand there is not just one way ... that there can be many ways to lead ... and you are not attached to any one in particular.

We want to differentiate from 'cult' leadership that is dogmatic about what is right and what is wrong.

It's motivational when you are allowed to come up with your own solutions.

Assessing what the potential is within your team. Helping each staff member understand what their own potential is.

Leader has to have beliefs - otherwise how can leader believe that the task/objective will be done/can be done.

Ability and opportunity for each staff member to self manage - should they and could they?

Best to base decisions on honesty and trust - otherwise discussions and outcomes will be based more upon false beliefs and assumptions.

Many people need the answers to be black and/or white as it is easier to understand and appreciate - but sometimes the answers cannot be that simple.

Leadership beliefs that contribute to or sustain poor performance

Needing to know beliefs of each member of staff? - is that more important than all your staff knowing your beliefs?

There's a Machiavellian style of leadership by some ... not advocating that this works!

Impossible to truly know and understand the belief's of each member within your team (sometimes they don't know themselves).

[Editorial note: placed as a negative leadership belief as team members may resent the intrusion and resist, creating tension.]

Are mistakes permitted - does the style of the leader and environment you work within allow for this (safe environment?).

We have a choice - if we stay we abide by the 'rules' - if we choose not to abide then we can decide to leave or that decision will be made for us.

Different environments can determine different outcomes.

People react to pressure/stress/fear differently - for some it may be challenging. For others it may be stimulating

Inspiration vs Micro-managing – what are the underlying leadership beliefs?

There can be a fear of losing control if you are leading by inspiring and this can lead to micro managing.

Micro-managers need to feel as if they in control.

Control vs safety – what do we mean by ‘safety’ and what is belief about feeling safe.

Inspirational leadership style - able to let go of mistakes to give freedom to staff but alongside this is needed clarity of purpose and direction of business.

My chairman says: “Don’t care how you do it but don’t come at the end and tell me the dog ate your homework.” I work best with that level of freedom.

Beliefs about how others perceive you – if I do it this way, how will I be seen? Sometimes we have an idealized image and question whether we are meeting it

What is the value of inspirational workshops? Ra! Ra! does not last. But, it can be a wake up call to look to how you are inspiring yourself.

Can be inspirational and still have an element of control.

Inspiration needs to come from within and not from an external source.

Role of the leader is multifaceted – leader, manager, coach, mentor – sometimes it difficult to balance all of these roles.