3. 360 Leader The Challenges
360 Leader
The Challenges
Now that you know the myths of leading in the middle,
it is time to face the challenges.
The pressure of being caught in the middle
Learn to lead with the restrictions others have placed on
you.
This is NOT a problem… it’s a fact of life.
This is not something that is going to go away.
There’s a difference between a problem in life and a fact
of life.
Let me give you an example. I regularly have dreams that
I am flying. I flap my arms and I rise in the air, I swoop, I
soar, I dive, I fly.
Now, I really truly want to do this, but this is NOT a
problem. It is just not going to happen. I cannot fly on
my own. That’s a fact of life. It’s not going to happen.
4. 360 Leader The Challenges
360 Leader
The Challenges
So how do you relieve the tension challenge?
It’s not enough to simply recognize that leading from
somewhere in the middle of the organization is stressful.
It’s insufficient to simply survive. You want to thrive. And
to do that you need to find some ways to relieve the
tension challenge.
Here are FIVE suggestions of how you might relieve the
tension challenge.
1. Become comfortable with the middle.
1. Comfort is a function of understanding
and valuing your position.
• All leaders, no matter how good
they are, at times, follow.
• All followers at times (if done
correctly) lead.
Remember, in the 21 Laws of leadership, not everyone
can be great at all 21 laws. Is there anyone here who is
exceptional in all 21?
No of course not. In five or six, that might be true. But in
five or six of the laws, I’m average or below average.
Those areas are things that I pass on to others in my
organization.
Like a quarterback on the football team: he doesn’t get
paid to run the ball, he gets paid to know who to give
the ball to.
Be comfortable where you are.
2. Know what to own and what to let go.
• Sit down with the person who is overseeing you
and be clear… “what’s mine… what’s yours?”
Are you trying to carry something that’s not yours?
5. 360 Leader The Challenges
360 Leader
The Challenges
Is somebody else carrying what is your?
3. Find quick access to answers when caught in the
middle.
• This is especially prevalent in the service
industry. Where the people caught in the middle
are also the front line to the customer. The
customer wants (and deserves!) an immediate
response. But you might not have the authority
to give an answer, or you may not know the
answer.
• Now do please note that this is not about
‘fobbing off’ the customer. If you need to defer to
a higher authority, then do so and tell the
customer when you will get back to them AND,
get back to them within the time you specified
with an answer.
4. Never violate your position or the trust of the leader.
• If you ever want to test the tension challenge to
its breaking point – violate the trust you have
been given in your position.
• Abuse the power of your position
• Intentionally undermine your leader
• Use organization resources for personal
gain
Consider Enron, Lehman, AIG, Northern Rock.
I once had an assistant manager whom I was developing
who, when I was not around for a month when I took
leave for my mother’s funeral: Told other people in the
organization what a bad manager I was; fired our best
receptionist for a minor infraction of policy and hired a
replacement who happened to be his cousin; and was
taking money from the cash received from clients;
covering up his theft by telling others that I had stolen
the money!
Don’t violate the trust.
5. Find a way to relieve your stress.
• It’s not good to bottle up your stress. Keeping it
to yourself and allowing that toxic, pent-up
frustration to build simply means that one day,
the dam will burst. And, the chances are, it’s
going to be someone you love (and who loves
you) that receives the full blast of the explosion.
6. 360 Leader The Challenges
360 Leader
The Challenges
• I know far too many leaders in the middle who
keep a tight lid on their stress at work only to let
loose at home.
• Instead, find a way that relieves your stress.
• When I was young, I used to box. It was a great
way to empty myself of all that tension. Hey, and
you don’t have to punch another person, take it
out on the bag or the circuit training.
• Nowadays, I’m a little more sedate. In part
because a lot less gets to me… but when it does…
I go swimming.
• Some people I know keep a journal of everything
that upsets them at work entitled “What I will
never do when I get to the top”.
Following an ineffective leader.
Your job isn’t to fix the leader. It’s to add value
If the leader won’t change. Change your attitude or your
work address.
There’s an excellent true saying: “People join a company,
but they leave a leader”
Has anyone here followed an ineffective leader?
Have any of you gotten frustrated trying to change that
leader?
How many of you are sat next to that leader right now?
No don’t answer that.
7. 360 Leader The Challenges
360 Leader
The Challenges
A normal reaction to the frustration challenge is to fix or
replace the leader you are working for, but that’s not
usually an option for the leader in the middle, even if it
were, it would be inappropriate. No matter what our
circumstances, our greatest limitation isn’t the leader
above us, it’s the spirit within us.
Remember, your leadership is as much disposition as
position. The role of leaders in the middle in nearly
every circumstance, is to add value to the organization
and to the leader.
So how do we add value and relieve the frustration
challenge.
1. Develop a solid relationship with your leader.
• We are tempted to withdraw rather than
develop the relationship.
2. Identify and appreciate your leader’s strengths.
• Instead of focussing on the weaknesses
(easy), take some time and really find out
what their strengths are (they do have
them).
3. Commit yourself to adding value to your leader’s
strengths.
• Working to add value in your leader’s
strength zone is noticed and it makes
your leader stronger.
• You must commit to the first three
BEFORE attempting number 4.
4. Get permission to develop a game plan to
complement your leader’s weaknesses.
8. 360 Leader The Challenges
360 Leader
The Challenges
• Having developed a good relationship,
appreciate your leader’s strengths and
added value to them, you are now in a
position to ask their permission to
complete (not compete with) the leader
5. Expose your leader to good leadership resources.
• I meet so many leaders in organizations
who simply don’t read leadership books
even. There’s even senior leaders who go
on a training workshop and spend most
of their time on emails, texts or ‘I have to
go attend this meeting…’ all as a priority
to their own development.
6. Publically affirm your leader.
• Whatever the situation. Now this isn’t
‘sucking up’ (although that has worked for
many) it’s voicing and showing your
support for your leader when
appropriate.
If you cannot do these six things then leave that
organization with class.
One head…. many hats
Knowing what hat to put on and then enjoying the
challenge.
9. 360 Leader The Challenges
360 Leader
The Challenges
1. The hat sets the context when interacting with
others.
• Each hat (or role) you wear has certain
demands and expectations. And a best
way of dealing with the situation.
• You wouldn’t behave in the same way
with your customers as you deal with
your children? Or the hat you wear with
your children when you’re talking to your
boss.
When I go home, I don’t want to be behaving in the
same way as I do as a leadership coach, pushing for
performance, when I’m talking to my wife. That would
be foolish. But some times it is difficult to switch off.
Particularly if you are very string in one particular role
(or hat). The most common I have found in Singapore is
the ‘frustrated manager’ hat that so many wear and they
take this home and behave the same way with their
children.
2. Don’t use one hat to accomplish the task required for
another hat.
• As you know, I’m a leadership coach. And
as a coach, my job is to help you improve
your performance. At times I have to push
quite hard. And I’m very direct. But I am
also a salesman, influencing and
persuading potential clients to buy our
services. Being direct and pushing at such
times would be counter-productive.
3. When you change hats, don’t change your personality.
10. 360 Leader The Challenges
360 Leader
The Challenges
• It’s a hat, not a cape. The manager of
others at work is the same ‘nice’ guy who
goes home. You know there are some
people who go to church and serve with a
smile and speak nicely to people and
make conversation and don’t mind when
someone sits next to them. Then they
leave the service, climb in their car, start
the engine and there’s a personality
change. That same person who sat beside
them in church pulls up alongside at the
car park exit and no way are they going to
be allowed to ‘push in’. Now every inch
matters and the driver hat has changed
your personality.
4. Don’t neglect the hat you are responsible to wear.
• Suddenly you are tired of wearing one of
your hats and decide not to wear it.
Leaders in the middle have to wear many
hats and simply neglecting one because
you don’t like it would be inappropriate. I
don’t like my ‘accountant’ hat. It’s one I
have to wear at least 3 times a year. I
have to get the accounts done, approve
them, have meetings about them, fill in
forms and so on. It’s a job I dislike. Now I
could choose simply not to wear that hat
and within weeks I would have to,
instead, wear my ‘Fine-payers’ hat. And if
I choose not to wear that none, I’ll be
wearing a ‘Defendant in court’ hat. And if
I choose not to wear that one I’ll soon be
wearing a ‘prisoner in jail’ hat… and that
hat I really don’t want to wear!
5. Remain flexible.
• Only secure and mature people are
continually flexible.
11. 360 Leader The Challenges
360 Leader
The Challenges
“You’re often hidden in the middle”
Remember that consistently good leadership does get
noticed.
“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It
is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever the cost,
but the urge to serve others whatever the cost.”
Arthur Ashe
Concentrate more on your duties than your dreams.
Ask yourself, “What are the duties I have to perform to
achieve the dream”
Concentrating on your dream is called “day-dreaming”.
You’ll never realise your dream if you don’t realise your
duties.
Appreciate the value of your position
Not everyone will appreciate the work that you do, so
it’s important that you do.
12. 360 Leader The Challenges
360 Leader
The Challenges
“If only they would appreciate me…” I her this from
many leaders. Well, other people won’t always do so,
and if you can’t appreciate it, who will?
Find satisfaction in knowing the real reason for the
success of the project.
Know that sometimes, the success of the project is
because you’re in the middle delivering on your duties.
For example. You’re here today and I have the pleasure
to be at the front of this event. But the people who
actually made this happen are the real reason for the
success of this event. Jenny (and name others)
Understand the difference between self promotion and
selfless promotion.
Self promotion says: If you don’t toot your own horn,
no-one will toot it for you.
Selfless promotion says: I just want the team to make
beautiful music
13. 360 Leader The Challenges
360 Leader
The Challenges
Leaders like the front rather than the middle.
Leadership is more disposition than position – influence
others from wherever you are.
Being at the front is a double edged sword. The good
news is that you get a lot of the credit.
The bad news: You get a lot of the blame.
See the Big Picture:
• The person who keeps busy helping the
one who is below him won’t have time to
envy the person above him – Henrietta
Mears
1. Define a win in terms of teamwork.
• The main ingredient of stardom is the rest
of the team – John Wooden
2. Engage in continual communication.
• The person in the middle of the team is
usually in the middle of the
communication
14. 360 Leader The Challenges
360 Leader
The Challenges
3. Gain experience and maturity.
• The arrogance of the young is a direct
result of not having known enough
consequences – Harry Holden
Championing the vision is more difficult when you
didn’t create it
The more you invest in the vision, the more it becomes
your own.
Attack it - Criticize and sabotage it. I didn’t create it so I
will undermine it!
Ignore it - And do their own thing
Abandon it - Leave the organization
Adapt to it - Find a way to align with the vision
Champion it - Take the leader’s vision and make it a
reality
Add Value to it
15. 360 Leader The Challenges
360 Leader
The Challenges
Differences between people who champion another’s
vision and those who do not.
Leading others beyond your position is not easy.
Think Influence not Position
16. 360 Leader The Challenges
360 Leader
The Challenges
All of these aspects are about how you are seen to act.
Not your intentions, not what you believe that you think,
it’s about how you show care, what you demonstrate as
character and so on. And remember, that all of these are
in the eye of the beholder. It is their PERCEPTION and
your ACTIONS, not your INTENTIONS.
Which of these is your greatest challenge?
