Increase your influence with your team: calibrating support and challenge
Do you know how the people you lead feel about you? It's easy to assume that because we are in a position of leadership, our subordinates automatically respect and trust us. However, this is often not the case. As leaders, it's important to regularly check in with those we lead to get an accurate assessment of our influence over those we lead. Is your assessment accurate? Will you people say the same thing about you as you would say about yourself?
As leaders, it's easy to assume that our subordinates automatically respect and trust us. But the reality is that this isn't always the case. To be an effective leader, it's important to regularly check in with those you lead to get an accurate assessment of your influence over them. Are you providing them with adequate support and challenge? Do they feel liberated? These are important questions to ask yourself.
To calibrate support and challenge for your team members, you need to be confident in your ability to push them out of their comfort zone when necessary and provide them with the support they need. It's not always easy, but it's an essential part of being an effective leader.
Here are the five steps to increase your influence by calibrating your support and challenge
Prepare yourself to ask the self-awareness question
Before you can ask your team members about their perception of your level of support and challenge, you need to be prepared to hear their honest feedback. This means being open to criticism and willing to make changes if necessary.
Here are three things a person can do to increase their confidence about their self worth so they are ready to receive criticism:
Affirm yourself to be valuable member of your team.
Affirm yourself to be a caring leader, and the feedback you will be receiving will help you grow your influence.
Remind yourself that the people you lead wants you to be a better leader for your own good.
Ask the question
Once you're ready to hear feedback, ask your team members the question: "Am I providing you with adequate support or challenge?" This will give you a clear picture of how you're doing as a leader.
It will help your team if you also express your intent is to grow your leadership skills, and urge them to give you the valuable feedback you need to grow.
Actively listen to your team.
When your team members give you feedback, actively listen to what they have to say. Don't interrupt or dismiss their concerns. Instead, take the time to really understand their perspective. Ask clarifying questions, paraphrase what they have said to check for understanding.
Do not provide excuses for your action. Acknowledge them instead.
Apologize and fix the relationship
If there was hurt, take the time to apologize and reconcile with your team members. This will help to bring healing to the relationship and show your team members that you value their input.
Calibrate
Once you have a clear understanding of your team members' perception of your leadership style, begin to shift the way you lead them. This may mean providing more support or challenging them more frequently. If you don’t know how to calibrate your team, ask them. Ask them how you can support them better so they can rise up to your challenge to complete the work you assign them.
Remember, being an effective leader is about more than just giving orders. It's about understanding your team members' needs and working to create an environment where they can thrive. By calibrating your support and challenge, you can active your team members to bring even more value to your organization.
Remember, as a leader, it's not about how you perceive yourself, but how others experience you. So take the time to ask the self-awareness question, actively listen, and calibrate your team. Your team members will thank you for it.
