To become a transcendent leader, we must understand what truly motivates people.
Author and leadership expert Fred Kofman believes there are four levers leaders must utilize to capture the hearts and minds of their team members.
Yesterday, we looked at the power of purpose. Today, we detail three other powerful tools transcendent leaders tap into to build inspired organizations: Principles, People, and Autonomy.
First up: Principles.
“As a culture architect,” Kofman writes in The Meaning Revolution: The Power of Transcendent Leadership, “every transcendent leader needs to define moral principles for the organization.”
After all, “humans are ethical animals,” Fred notes. “We care deeply about what is good and just.”
These underlying principles are hard-wired. “Ask anyone why he or she did something and you’ll get an ethical justification. From the five-year-old’s ‘He hit me first!’ to the fifty-five’s ‘I have the right!,’ we seek to legitimize our actions by appealing to moral principles.”
For someone to engage fully at work, there must be a code we can live by with pride.
The goal is to establish a few critical signposts. “Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise to complex, intelligent behavior. Complex rules and regulations give rise to simple, stupid behavior,” said Dee Hock, founder and former CEO of the Visa credit card association.
Here are some questions transcendent leaders ask to establish ethical principles within their organizations:
o What values do we want to express?
o How are we demonstrating a way of being and relating (to each other and all our external stakeholders) that we wish extended to all humanity?
o What behaviors will make us proud, regardless of the outcome of our efforts?
o Are we manifesting the true, the good, and the just in everything we do?
o What behaviors will foster collaboration while maximizing individual freedom and responsibility?
2: Next up: People.
“Transcendent leaders are able to create social bonds based on a common narrative,” Fred writes. “Among the most significant sources of well-being at work (and life in general) are the good relationships we have with people around us.”
Our ability to relate to one another is a crucial driver of the survival of our species over time. Historian Yuval Noah Harari asserts, “Homo sapiens came to dominate the world because we are the only animal that can cooperate flexibly in large numbers. This is due to our unique ability to conceive of and believe in objects existing purely in the imagination, such as gods, nations, money, and limited liability corporations. . .
Human beings who previously did not know each other are able to cooperate successfully because they are able to stop feeling like strangers to one another.
Here are some questions transcendent leaders ask to create a people-centered organization:
o How do we create an inclusive environment where all those who share our mission and values feel like they belong?
o How do we connect to one another authentically?
o How do we ensure that everybody who belongs feels recognized, respected, and appreciated as a member of this community?
o How can we deepen our bonds of trust and solidarity?
o How can we better support one another to learn and grow?
3: The final tool transcendent leaders use to create inspired organizations? Autonomy.
“Every human being craves autonomy,” Fred writes. “There’s tremendous power in giving employees autonomy and the opportunity to use their own best judgment.”
This idea is difficult for some leaders: “These managers believe it is their job to stand between chaos and a well-functioning organization,” he observes. “They design structures, put processes in place, establish rules, and enforce them through sanctions.”
Fred believes this approach is a mistake: “To reiterate: the leader’s job is to elicit people’s internal commitment to collaborate to accomplish the organizational goal.”
One example of autonomy in action: Nordstrom.
The company has a simple statement of purpose: “Our number one goal is to provide outstanding customer service.”
Here is their rulebook: “Rule #1: Use your good judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules. Please feel free to ask your department manager, store manager, or division general manager any question at any time.”
Fred writes: “Nordstrom does not rely on complex procedures and controls to ensure quality service. They rely on hiring and training employees who care about their customers, and then inspiring these employees to demonstrate their care judiciously.”
Another example: Disney. Cast members “were given responsibility to handle customer complaints immediately at the park, without having to go to a manager,” writes Fred.
“After this happened, complaints plummeted and customers were delighted. There were a few instances when an employee overcompensated, such as giving a golfer a free complete set of clubs in response to a complaint, but that was part of the growing pains of giving employees increased responsibility. And the upside was a huge uptick in engagement and less turnover.”
Here are some questions transcendent leaders ask to foster autonomy:
o How do we foster informed choice and internal commitment so that each one of us can exercise discretion in service of our mission?
o How can we get better and better at the things that matter to us?
o What challenges are we taking on to test and stretch our abilities?
o What activities can help each and all of us learn and grow?
o What feedback mechanisms can support our improvement efforts?
More next week!
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Reflection: How might I leverage the power of purpose, principles, people, and autonomy within my organization?
Action: Discuss with my team.
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