After taking the helm of a new corporate function, Tim—an executive at a fortune 500 company—called together the division’s senior leaders. Instead of the obligatory monologue about himself and his vision, Tim briefly introduced himself, then opened the floor for questions.
“What’s your leadership style?” asked someone toward the back.
In response, Tim told a story from early in his career, from the first team he had ever led. That team had let him know through an anonymous survey that many of them thought he was a micromanager.
“I was shocked,” Tim revealed to his current team. “It was never my intent, but obviously that was the effect I was having on them. I brought it up openly, and with their help I got better—and we got better. I was so thankful for the feedback, otherwise I never would have had the opportunity to grow.”
Tim’s answer to this simple question accelerated the development of quick trust with his team. Here are three reasons why this answer was so effective:
- Tim answered the “question behind the question”: The person who asked that question in that context isn’t looking for a rote recitation of some leadership philosophy. That person really wants to know, “What’s it going to be like working for you?” Or on a more basic level, “Are you for real & are you on my side?”
- Tim was vulnerable: Tim went counter to corporate culture and shared a time he had failed. He also shared his inner thoughts and feelings. You don’t need to air dirty laundry at every turn, but pulling back the curtain to let people see the real you, allows them to relate on a human level.
- Tim told a story: Tim didn’t just make statements about himself like, “I’m open to feedback” or “personal growth is important to me.” Conveying these values via a story brought them to life and made them more believable. A well-told, personal story invites others in to experience your life first-hand.
Thanks to that initial meeting, Tim got a healthy head start on creating a high-trust team. However, you don’t have to wait until a big transition to apply these principles. You can start today.
Look for the question behind the question. Open up a little more. Share your story.
For Reflection: What’s a story from your life that illustrates one of your core values?
Update: Proposal Review
My Challenge Network is reviewing my book proposal this week and I plan to start sending it out to literary agents next week!
