The Influence of Natural Behaviour

The age-old argument about whether leaders are born or made will probably continue forever. Whatever the answer is, it is easy to see how the debate originated.

Leaders whose natural behaviour patterns are predisposed towards great leadership were no doubt born with those tendencies - and even though they will have developed skills along the way, it is their natural abilities that people will be drawn to. It stands to reason then that anyone who embarks upon a leadership role who lacks such innate qualities will have to work harder to develop the right leadership behaviours.

With that in mind (and steering well away from the born versus made discussion), it makes sense for those in leadership positions to regularly check their own natural behavioural responses, understand what these say about their own leadership style, and then reflect seriously on the development needed to ensure their behaviour is always aligned towards getting the best results from the people they lead.

I watched with interest earlier today when I observed a management team putting their natural behaviour patterns to the test. There were some interesting and valuable lessons learned.

In the exercise that had been prepared for them, the group were invited into a room where all the chairs had been stacked up behind yellow and black tape which carried the message "caution - do not cross". The team were invited to "Take a seat". Following a few confused glances, the instruction was repeated - although this time the invitation was to "Grab a chair". The responses were revealing - intuitively everyone knew that this was some sort of test. But the test was not so much about getting to the right answer as it was to assess the natural behaviour patterns that emerged in this staged setting.

Broadly speaking there were three categories of response.

Group A were happy to break the rules, or make up their own rules to achieve the result in as short a time as possible, or with the least amount of effort possible. They took chairs from behind the tape, sat on the floor, or refused to sit claiming that standing up was a much better option.
Group B explored other options to achieve the right result without breaking the rules. They went to find a chair from a different part of the office, brought it back into the room and sat on it.
Group C watched the other two groups, and tried to work out which camp they wanted to be with, then went with the majority.

The whole exercise was over in just a few minutes - but the leadership lessons learned had a profound impact. It was put to the group that their natural behavioural response to such a simple scenario is probably their natural response to any task, challenge, issue, or problem they face in their day-to-day role. So the questions they must ask themselves are -

• Do I willingly or inadvertently "break the rules" to get results?
• Do I make my own rules up, or 'move the goalposts' to suit myself?
• Do I often look for the easy option?
• Do I consistently challenge myself to get the right result in the right way without cutting corners or compromising the overall outcome for the team?
• Do I just follow others, or follow the path of least resistance?

Once all these questions have been answered, the most important question remains -

• What impact do my behavioural choices have on the performance of others?

The fact is that, whether born or made, leaders will only ever get the results they deserve based on the influence exerted from their own behaviour.

Reach for the Cello

During their current school year my eldest daughter's class has been given the opportunity to learn a stringed instrument. At the beginning of term she came home with a viola, and started practising the notes, scales and pieces of music she was being taught at school. Her initial enthusiasm quickly subsided though, and the viola spent more and more time in its case.

When asked why she wasn't as interested in her instrument now as she had been at first, she pointed out that she actually had her eye on the cello but was been beaten to it by a fellow student. She had tried to embrace the viola - but unfortunately she couldn't get quite as excited about it as she could the cello. She was quick to add though that the pupil who had selected the cello was no longer taking the music class, and as a result the cello remained in the cupboard un-used during the lessons.

This was an opportunity that was too good to miss. So with a little encouragement to boost her confidence, off she went to school the next day to "reach for the cello"! She asked her music teacher if she could switch instruments, and in so doing not only did she get to play the instrument she had wanted to play all along, but she also learned a valuable lesson about looking for and taking advantage of opportunities that present themselves - sometimes unexpectedly.

It is a lesson that we can all learn from. How often are we too wrapped up in day to day routine to even notice opportunities? How often do we spot them but fail to take decisive action, and the opportunity disappears? Or have we begun to accept things the way they are, and leave the opportunities for others instead?

There are opportunities all around us every day. Opportunities to learn and develop, opportunities to try something new, or travel somewhere we haven't been before. Business opportunities, job opportunities, the chance to help others, or volunteer to support a worthy cause, or simple social opportunities to enjoy time with others and enrich our life.

The question is - next time one of these opportunities makes itself available, will you "reach for the cello"?

High Performing Teams in Action

Once we begin to analyse it, we realise that there are many more interactions in every day business that involve teamwork than we may at first think.

It is easy to restrict our thinking to the traditional aspects of team performance, and only apply sound principles of team work in these formal settings. For example meetings, conferences, away days, and so on. But every time we want to drive a result that requires the contribution of a group of people it is imperative that we behave as a high performing team.

So what are the guiding principles that a high performing team would utilise on a day-to-day basis - even for completing mundane tasks?

Here are a few to consider,

Set a clear goal - an agreed definition of success at the outset. This will ensure that everyone is "on the same page", working towards the same result, and channeling all of their energy towards the agreed goal.
Securing collective "buy-in" and getting the best possible input from everyone. We will only ever see people's best work if they are totally committed to the job in hand. Once we have everyone's commitment we can divide up tasks based on strengths and abilities. Therefore the collective input will be efficient, and the engagement of the team will be stronger.
Work out a process for making decisions and controlling the tasks. Before jumping straight into the planning stage, a little time spent working out how decisions will be made and how progress will be monitored is a worthwhile investment. This will strengthen the "buy-in", and ultimately contribute to a stronger plan.
Dealing with conflict. We cannot kid ourselves that high performing teams have eliminated conflict and that is why they are effective. If anything, conflict is more likely to occur in high performing teams because of the level they are trying to achieve. If we want to reach similar heights we must embrace conflict, but at the same time work out how we will deal with it. Healthy conflict is a catalyst for better quality outputs - but where conflict is not handled appropriately it can be divisive and destructive.
Dealing with feelings. Whilst we always tap into peoples thoughts and ideas on how we should complete tasks, we should also consider how people are feeling. We should never move on until we understand the feelings in the group as emotion has a significant influence on the success of any task. Also, we should devise a process for "checking-in" to people's feelings throughout the task. If we don't, there is a risk that the hard earned commitment and "buy-in" secured earlier on may evaporate, leaving the task and the team in a vulnerable position.
Reviewing the outcomes and sharing honest feedback. The review stage of any plan is crucial to making ongoing business improvements - but when coupled with honest feedback on the contribution of the individuals involved, it can also support improvements in other aspects of the teams performance. Lessons learned on one task can be applied to future tasks, and transferable skills can be developed. Team bonds are strengthened, as is the understanding of how best to deploy the skills and abilities available. Ascertaining everyones views on the success of the task is crucial too. Celebrating successes - or celebrating the learnings from any mistakes that may have been made - are true hallmarks of any high performing team.

Three Pillars of High Performance

Our Environment

The environment we create for people is crucial to achieving success. Both the physical environment, and the way our business environment supports high performance, require constant attention.

The physical environment can be easily overlooked – but broken equipment, tired or out of date wall displays and scruffy furniture or decor, should receive prompt attention. It is unrealistic to expect people to perform at the pace and level we require if their place of work is not up to standard.

The business environment we create is equally as important. Is there sufficient encouragement for people to stretch themselves? Are people encouraged to voice their concerns and offer suggestions that will contribute to business growth?

Engagement, development and continuous improvement are the hallmarks of a professional business environment and are a firm foundation for high performance.

Our Professional Standards

We must clearly establish the standards of behaviour we expect. This starts with a basic work ethic. A good way to achieve this is to set an outstanding example of hard work and high performance ourselves. We should always model the behaviours we expect from others through our own attitude. If we are outwardly confident and optimistic that as a team we are on track to reach our destination everyone in the team is more likely to share our belief. If we avoid wasting time looking for excuses or blame, the people around us are more likely to focus on what can be done to move performance forward. They will feel more empowered to deliver the vital actions, remaining engaged in our business goals and stimulated by the difference they are making personally to the team performance.

Our Communication

The way we communicate will help us to bring our leadership brand to life, and make us accessible to the whole team.

We may face challenges involving our people, our customers, industry regulators, or the economy – to name a few. Will we be able to cope?  How can we instil confidence that our business model is equipped to respond to such challenges? Communicating regularly through a variety of media helps us to navigate the changes required along the journey. However, we should always deliver the most important, or difficult, messages personally – and ideally face to face – to answer questions, ease concerns, and reinforce our plan.

Our communication style is crucial to maintaining the focus and direction of our team so that everyone continues to drive collectively in the right direction.