Author: By Audrey Sommerfeld
Personal influence – we’ve been trained to use personal influence to work in complex organizations. But what does that mean? It is more than understanding the other person and their needs. It is understanding yourself. These are lessons I shared when I presented at the Women’s Leadership Conference at the University of Minnesota. My topic was working in a global matrix environment, and how to succeed.
1.You have a long career, protect your reputation. People will remember you, and while people change, often our reputations stay the same. Take a long-term view. The person we sit next to in a cubicle today, could end up being President. I’ve seen it. And these were not the people I thought were always the smartest, or better than me. But they were better at navigating politics and understanding that the person in the cube next to you today, could be your boss tomorrow.
2. Look at everything as win/win, not win/lose. We are trained to think win lose. You won the game, therefore I lost. If instead we were to think you won this game, I honed my skills for the next one we would shift our thinking and our focus. We move from winning to learning. And life is always about learning and moving from competition, to collaboration. Are you the best person you can be? Can you be better at your career? Can you continue to learn with passion for what you are doing?
3. We all need mentors and coaches. Adversaries can become your best friend if you respect each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and root for each other’s success. Great leaders instill hope in others. Be a coach to your team, tell them “you’ve got this”, that you are there to help them learn and grow and succeed. When you coach others and show that you care about their future – they will work harder for you and you both will succeed.
4. There is no single definition of success. The old school thinking was success was title, pay, prestige. Yet it is not. I think we, as a society, since the pandemic are now beginning to recognize it is how you define success for your life. Some people want to teach. Some want to do. Some want to lead. Some want to manage teams. Some want to be in a team. Some have family obligations so they set their dreams on the side, for a while. Some want to manage projects. All matter. One of my favorite movie scenes is from the movie Hidden Figures. Not only that women were doing the math and helping save a project and save lives – but also the janitor. His job he said was to help put a man on the moon. If the pilots and personnel were not clean, and safe to focus then he was not doing his job. Every job is needed. Every job should be valued.
5. It’s not the plane, it’s the pilot. I love the Top Gun movies, and I love this quote. And like the movie, it’s thinking outside the book where we become a better pilot. But you can only push the boundaries when you really understand the plane, the book, the rules, and the competitive environment. You need to constantly learn and keep current with competitors, customers, costs, communications. You are only as good as your current results. Technology changes. Time is your greatest enemy. The pilot remains the same. It is about learning your skillset, your craft. Knowing who you are, and using your unique skillset and personality to set you apart.
6. Attitude and Skillset both matter. Be a good team player. No one wants the negative person, the complainer, or the I must be seen and heard person no their team. Don’t’ be that person. And remember it’s not just attitude it’s also perseverance. It takes about 7 -8 tries before and ‘idea’ is heard. It usually goes 1. No. That is dumb. 2. No. I think you already mentioned this once. 3. No. Why do you keep bringing it up. 4. I don’t understand why you are so passionate about this. 5. What is it exactly. 6. Why would it work. 7. I have an idea – took yours and made it better (or claimed it for their own). But you had to have thought it out, run the numbers – think through the idea. Don’t waste anyone’s time.
7. Great leaders put their team first. They need to trust you, believe you, and have an emotional attachment to you. It’s getting to know them and their life inside and outside the office. It is how you show up, keeping your word, leading by example, and committing to their futures – their safety.
It is harder to build globally in a matrix – but you can because it is about the human connection and realizing we are all the same around the world. We all want what is best for our families. It does not matter what language we speak, what the color of our skin may be, our background, or even education.
We all just want what’s best for our families. To have healthy children. To have a home to return to after the day. To be happy.
8. Humor levels the playing field. is a great way to break the ice, and brings us all to the same human connection. It diffuses tension. It gives us time to think.
9. You earn respect with results. Don’t take no for an answer. And yet remember -sometimes you need to fly below the radar for awhile before you can succeed. In business you can never rest on your laurels.
Though resting after a grueling project or product launch is important, the reality is that was yesterday. The company will ask what are you doing for me today. You can have the greatest personality – and it will take you places. But if you are fun to be with, but never get your project done on time – you are not going to get the raises, or recognition. It’s always results.
10.We are all flawed humans. We are all trying to get by in life, living our purpose. Caring for our families. Striving to be healthy and happy. At the end of the day, we all are flawed human beings. We all have our hopes and our fears. Our worries and our celebrations. Our passions, and our quirks. So be kind. It costs nothing to be kind. To step back and not react. To try to see the bigger picture, and the long term view. To control our emotions and to try to see the world from another’s point of view. To respect our differences for they teach us more than our similarities. Everyone has a human wound they are trying to heal. It never hurts to be kind.
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