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management Bb "The best leaders know when to hold the line and when to concede to another leader's expertise. The alternative is to always lead with an iron will. This nasty habit can lead others to stop providing new ideas." Barb Krantz Taylor, The Bailey Group with an iron will, never giving up ground and always having the last say on any decision. This nasty habit can lead others to stop providing new ideas or alternatives in order to avoid conflict or wasted effort. Often the forceful leader doesn't believe he or she is closed to feedback and new perspectives; it's just that no one seems to offer any solutions! Leaders whose personalities tend toward having the last word should practice stepping back and allowing others to lead the strategy. The team may still look to this leader for direction or confirmation, at which point the leader can provide feedback that supports an organizationwide vision as opposed to opinions on the details of planning or implementation. This shift will increase efficiency as well as innovation. empowerment and respectful force as appropriate. By repeatedly giving in to louder voices, quieter leaders lose engagement and may eventually leave the organization or let the team spin its wheels — no longer taking responsibility for contributing to its success or failure. department or function. Rather than giving mind share and preference to one department or service, executive leaders should view all decisions in light of the full enterprise. Without that enterprise-wide view, some stakeholders and important considerations may be left out of the conversation. To avoid the nasty habit of career bias, No. 4: Revisiting decisions functional leaders should represent their Once a decision is made, it's made. departments, but focus on processes and Yet, some leaders have the nasty habit of projects that contribute to the whole speaking up with questions or objections enterprise. By contrast, a vice president that should have come up long ago. The of business development may still have leader was included in early meetings a functional role, but should act in full but wasn't fully engaged. Later when awareness and integration with other the project has a personal impact, this functions across the organization. leader suddenly has multiple questions or In this way, leaders allow others to complaints. swim in their lanes and gain true awareRather than allowing late objectors ness of cross-functional strengths. They (unless some shocking new informacan collaborate, concede to another's tion has come to light), teams need to experience and engage fully in planning No. 3: Giving in (up?) commit to full engagement when invited and implementation. For leaders who tend to hang back to comment on new projects. Listen for They can, ultimately, move freely from decisions in the interests of empow- the benefits and impact on each person's within conflict and work toward resoluering their teams or avoiding conflict, this role — and bring up timely questions tion. Leadership and high performance too can become a nasty habit that impacts — before the project is weeks or months win. Nasty habits lose. top performance. underway. Maybe a forceful decision maker has No. 5: Career prejudice worn down their resolve or they prefer decisions by committee. When it really Nasty habits can stem from a leader's counts, these leaders need to step up unexamined personality or career backrather than give in or give up. ground. As we mentioned in the earlier nasty habits, if others have let the leader The value of such leaders taking a down in the past, decisions may be more stand is a paradigm shift. The forceful leader needs to address the difference in unilateral than by committee. If the leader hates conflict, he or she will back opinion rather than assuming everyone agrees, particularly if the leader taking a off when things feel tense. Similarily, stand is respected and thoughtful in the if the leader has ascended from a more dialogue. This leader can also become technical role in the company, the leader a model for others to shift between may have a prejudice toward a particular Contact: Barb Krantz Taylor is a licensed psychologist and principal consultant with The Bailey Group, the Twin Cities management consulting firm: 763.545.5997, ext. 302; bktaylor@thebaileygroup.com; www.thebaileygroup.com www.upsizemag.com december 2013 • january 2014 upsize 11