Setting the tone 2
Josh Forde asked a good question in his comment on “Setting the tone“. For those of you who rely on news feeds or Twitter to follow this blog, here it is, with my response:
Question for you Jim : What do you think gave you the authority to do that with other people? We all have situations of seeing behaviour that we disagree with but don’t always feel we can effectively confront it or that we carry the respect to do so. It can’t be just about being the boss, it has to resonate with something larger than that?
Good question, Josh. Actually being the boss does give you positional authority, but you use it carefully, and it only works well if it is backed up by personal authority - being assertive rather than authoritative, having confidence and conviction, and having earned respect for your past actions, knowledge and demonstrated behaviour. That’s something you build over time. Even if you don’t have it yet, it’s never too late to start. Most people recognise valid thinking when they see it, and although you may not persuade them this time, you’re building a personal ethos and reputation which will evolve into personal authority as a formal leader or as an important and respected influencer. And sometimes, all it takes is for you to speak out; you’ll be surprised at how often someone else jumps in to support you - the world is full of good people who want to do the right thing.
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November 30th, 2009 at 5:14 am
Thanks a lot Jim, good points there.
I agree it reflects on your credibility - if the boss (or anyone) doesn’t have credibility behind their actions, their point won’t survive much resistance. I think the principle applies to all sorts of relationships not just boss/employee but that is another discussion!