Newly Corporate

When I’m not reading the internal revenue code or skimming slides for class, I sometimes squeeze in a real book. Right now the flavor is Jack Welch’s Winning. Sometimes I just can’t wait till the end of the book to post about a topic.

Towards the beginning Jack dives into his vision of a leader and the 8 roles they need to fulfill to be a success. Let’s review them:

1. Leaders relentlessly upgrade their team, using every encounter as an opportunity to evaluate, coach, and build self-confidence.

2. Leaders make sure people not only see the vision, they live and breathe it.

3. Leaders get into every-one’s skin, exuding positive energy and optimism.

4. Leaders establish trust with candor, transparency, and credit.

5. Leaders have the courage to make unpopular decisions and gut calls.

6. Leaders probe and push with a curiosity that borders on skepticism, making sure their questions are answered with action.

7. Leaders inspire risk taking and learning by setting the example.

8. Leaders celebrate.

I don’t want just to repeat what he said or reiterate it, that would be boring. Instead, I see these rules and I can’t help but think, how are they of use to me?

I’m not in a true leadership position. In fact, I’m on the very bottom! But is there leading that can be done from my position? Of course there is! The key is to take Jack’s roles and find a way to practice them. But you have to practice them without offending those above you! That won’t make you friends.

Several of the roles cannot be done if your on the bottom, all your going to do is offend people. #1 for example. You start giving unsolicited coaching advice to peers, there will be resentment. Or #7 you start taking risks without permission, your boss will not be too happy.

But a few of these roles are easily done from the bottom and can make your leadership potential shine. Here is my short list of leadership roles for the bottom of the totempole.

• As an underlying, a peon if you will, you don’t have much say on how things go. But you do choose your attitude. Living the vision (#2) and exuding positive energy (#3) is the greatest way to lead from below. I can’t tell you how many late nights I helped our team get through roadblocks and accomplish a task just by staying positive when everyone else was down. Taking ownership and living the vision will impress your boss and inspire your co-workers.

• You’re probably not great friends with your boss. And for good reason, your boss has a job to do, and that needs to come first. A great way to show your boss you’re ready for the next level is exercise the same candor and transparency he/she does (#4). Be honest with your boss and your co-workers, tell them how it is (or at least how you think it is). You will get your boss’s respect, and eventually, your peers. Become known as a straight talker where people can go to for honest assessments.

• Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it will get you promoted! Attack every project with curiosity and skepticism (#6). Just because you are the workhorse, doesn’t mean you don’t need to know the economics of the project or the reason behind tasks. You may be afraid to ask your boss with what you feel are “pointless questions,” but if your boss is a true leader, he’ll appreciate your initiative and relish in the moment to teach. Bonus, if your peers don’t do the same, they have to come to you for the answers (which means power!, er, I mean leadership).

That is how I take Jack’s 8 rules for leadership and apply them to my non-leadership role. Of course, all of us leaders know there is no such thing as a non-leadership role because as leaders (sometimes called control freaks) we search for ways to lead in everything!