When driving team results, informal authority beats formal authority every time!

Many of the articles I read on leadership focus on the “person in charge” with formal authority. These authors provide counsel on how to effectively “rally the troops” once you achieve the leadership role. While they provide sage counsel to this smaller group at the top of the organization, they neglect the power of informal leadership that harnesses the entire organization to achieve breakthrough results regardless of level or rank. 

Stephen Covey declares that “leadership is a choice, not a position.” 

He advocates for all of us to lead with Informal Authority. This Informal Authority is given to the leaders by their followers - influencing attitudes and behavior beyond compliance. Conversely, Formal Authority is given to the leader by the organization – coming from and dependent on that organization. Truth be told, when managing people Informal Authority beats Formal Authority every time! A leader holding only Formal Authority without employing Informal Authority will have many more problems and issues.  

At Ascend Commercial Solutions, we coach our clients on the 5Es of Leadership. The 5Es are: Envision, Engage, Energize, Enable, and Execute. These 5Es of Leadership  are a framework for the essential competencies each of us may use to drive change and greater achievement.

When we ENVISION, we create the future and change the game. This E recognizes opportunities and creates a clear vision of what may be achieved. Key elements of this vision include the benefits of achieving our desired objective, formulating a plan although the path may not be crystal clear, and affirmation of our personal commitment to the outcome. I like to think about a farmer plowing his field (pre-GPS) where they look far in the horizon to identify a target (objective) they plow toward to make straight furrows in the field.

With our vision in hand, we ENGAGE others and allow them to participate in refining and owning the vision and strategies.  This E is focused on building rapport and collaboration to further develop and optimize the plan.  In the corporate environment, valuing and working effectively across different organizations is critical to success.  It is imperative that we role model our desired behavior – “do what I say and not what I do” is not a formula for success. 

During the ENERGIZE step we inspire our team members, gain their commitment to achieve the vision, and create the environment where they are motivated to do their very best.  This E asks us to understand what motivates each team member – both extrinsic and intrinsic rewards.  I like to consider each interpersonal exchange as making deposits into the ‘Emotional Bank Account’ - the sum of each interaction builds a reserve to power our activities.

We ENABLE the desired results by building the capability of our team members to deliver the objective – including our own capability.  This E looks for us to identify and leverage the team’s strengths, develop new capabilities as needed, and remove barriers to success. Integrating diverse viewpoints, skillfully giving feedback, and delegating effectively are critical skills. At Ascend we advise clients on using the EDAC Model for building new capabilities.

Lastly, when we EXECUTE with Excellence we achieve outstanding results.  Ensuring operational and organizational excellence is a key requirement of every leader. To be successful, we need to:

• clarify expectations and align action plans
• review progress and celebrate milestones
• confront barriers and build contingency plans. 

Priority Setting is a critical skill to remain on-track in the face of conflicting obligations – you always have time for the things you put first. 

The beauty of the 5Es of Leadership is that they promote the behaviors of Informal Authority, even when you have been granted a position with Formal Authority.   Each of the five-Es will stimulate you to consider a transformative objective, enroll and empower others, motivate and inspire your team, and achieve success in the face of challenges.  

Connect with Ascend Commercial Solutions to learn how you may harness the power of the 5Es of Leadership to drive transformative achievement on your team: 

• Recognize new opportunities and form a clear vision of what can be achieved to create a new future and change the game.
• Build the “Emotional Bank Account” while leveraging the diverse skills, talents, and capabilities of your team to achieve breakthrough objectives.
• Create the environment where your team members are inspired to do their very best and motivate them with appropriate extrinsic and intrinsic rewards that build commitment. 
• Utilize EDAC training, coaching and feedback methods, and delegation skills to leverage strengths and remove barriers to success.
• Develop tracking tools and scorecards to assess status, review progress, and implement contingency plans to achieve excellent results.

Want to learn more? Feel free to sign up for a no-obligation 30-minute review of your challenges and possible actions we may take to overcome them by pressing the “Get Started” button on LinkedIn or “Let’s Talk!” button on the AscendCommercialSolutions.com website. 

Happy Selling!

George

Ascend Commercial Solutions brings our expertise in Customer Engagement, Sales Management, and Market Development to overcome your barriers to growth. Our structured approach is tailored to your specific company objectives and the challenges you face. The improvements to your business and organization will stand the test of time.