Welcome to week 2 of the 21 Day Leadership Challenge. We have designed this to practically support you as leaders to show up as the best version of you.
This 21 Day Challenge encourages your daily reflection, action and growth. It is designed to help you as leaders stay focused, adaptable and effective.
Each challenge will be conveniently delivered to you, via your inbox or social media stream, however you currently read our content, each working day morning throughout the month.
Day 9 – Who Are Your Stakeholders?
Identify key stakeholders and their interests. Start a stakeholder map so you don’t leave anyone out.
Most people forget stakeholders that might have ‘hidden’ power in the system. Those that might sit behind or act as key influencers to the more obvious decision makers.
As it relates to the change you are leading what do your stakeholders care about and what worries them? This is more important than you think. Empathy is one of the most important skills in influencing. You must put yourself in the shoes of your stakeholders to really understand where they are coming from as it relates to the change you are leading.
You need to start with where they are at as you are engaging and endeavoring to influence them. This is about not only what you need to influence but how you go about it. But more on this later. For today just start the mapping work.
Day 10 – Expand Your Network
Today’s challenge is to review your current network. Create a list of your network.
It might be helpful to think of your network in these 4 categories:
Performance– people in your network that add to your insights and perspectives and therefore support you to lift your performance;
Development– people in your network that stretch you, your thinking and your experiences. They may also create opportunities that give you exposure to new and different;
Access– these people in your network connect you to others and open the door to new opportunities;
Support – these people in your network provide you with personal and emotional support.
When you sit back and reflect on your network how are you doing? How well is your network set up to support you and your leadership? How diverse is your network? Who else do you need in your network? Are there any categories that are too light?
Secondly, how you are engaging and nurturing your network? Do you have a plan or routine to manage these relationships? After all this is important leadership work. Not a nice to have and not something to be done when it’s time to look for a new job!
By the end of the week - Set up a meeting or coffee with someone that will offer you new perspectives or challenge your current thinking…
Day 11 – Real Stories
Before you start this challenge think about how you want to be showing up? What key leadership opportunities or challenges do you need to make most progress on?
Your challenge for today is to craft a personal story that communicates your business change or vision messages.
Sharing personal stories to support your business messages is one of the best ways to engage and connect people. As you are leading change or setting new strategies there is often so much noise and so many communications. Build your ability to tell great stories that create clarity around the purpose of the change and engage people ‘below the neck’.
Gabrielle Dolan is not only a friend, colleague and master of storytelling, she is a global thought leader on the subject. If you haven’t read one of her many books that will help you build your professional storytelling skills then order one today.
And once you are comfortable with your story, practice it with a trusted colleague before delivering it to your teams and stakeholders. Believe me, when you get this right it will do amazing things to your ability to inspire and mobilise your teams around change.
Day 12 – Empower Your Team
Identify areas where you can delegate more effectively. And in doing this the purpose is to empower your teams to take ownership of adaptive challenges, not just the technical work or tasks.
Consider how your leadership is impacting effective delegation. Is your need for control or perfectionism getting in the way? Are you only delegating tasks and not the whole or the thinking?
There is a recipe for empowerment:
Leadership is everywhere, overt or latent, and I believe that everyone has the potential to lead. Given the power to do something, employees become stronger and more confident, especially if they feel in control and accountable for the outcomes. But to empower others is not just a question of handing over responsibility and tasks.
To empower is to trust.
Reflect on the level of trust within your teams. Identify any area where trust might be compromised and take steps to rebuild it.
Day 13 – Building Coalitions
Earlier in this challenge you mapped your key stakeholders.
Today’s challenge is to consider which stakeholders are most important to the progress you need to be making and leading. Reach out, set up meetings to connect and to build coalitions that will support your change.
Successful leaders place a significant emphasis on relationships. And with that they care about creating and nurturing their networks so that they can call on them in need, work with them and engage with them on key leadership goals.
So engaging with your stakeholders is not a tick the box exercise. It should be done genuinely and consistently. Not just when you want or need something done.
If relationships with stakeholders are tricky or prickly then try focusing on finding common ground and shared goals. Start there.
And as always, we would love to hear from you about your progress. What’s working, where you are getting stuck and what else you need.
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