Leadership Challenges

Question

Hey guys, I just want to see if any of the leaders in organisations find these events relatable and if possible, kindly put in your perspectives to resolve such issues.

1.  Resistance

So basically, lawfully speaking, we cannot force anyone to subscribe to a particular aspect of the betterment but I have many a times faced resistance to changes that I design in my place. Even though the changes are good, there is a small set of powerful group that resists it as the power might shift to a more de-centralized way with no unilateral authority and they choose to oppose and others are not very sure to see it so eventually at times, I have to dictate authority to make it happen. Another way is to make small changes but it takes too much time to execute and by the time it reaches the point of agreement or the goal, basically many months have been wasted just because people were not able to see it.

2.  Envy

I don't know if many people have gone through this but in corporate politics, people always tend to oppose the initiatives by others as the initiatives are considered a "threat" to their promotions and the people taking initiatives are considered asking for limelight even though the motivation for initiatives could actually be to make the work place more efficient. Even the superiors see it as a threat to their position because "this guy might take my job".

I face the issue from both fronts and I am not very aware on what to do. But in terms of envy, I try to establish motivational quotes that keep the people who envy from attacking the initiative taker but lets face it, it doesn't work much.

3.  FOMO
 
Oh this one is actually an attack on the initiative takers instead of the others. FOMO or fear of missing out is now getting used as a tool to introduce consequences so that people who don't follow would miss out on something important with complete disregard to their personal lives.

I have seen this happen in the following settings- irrelevant office parties (outside of office and office hours), informal events and even the arranged events that aren't official.

I still haven't been able to tackle the third one. But I welcome perspectives on all the 3 challenges. If you can, do add a few challenges you have faced and I would be happy to exchange perspectives on those.

bb · Answer

Good post BQ! I can't talk about FOMO. I don't think I relate to that well

but leadership takes A LOT OF WORK! In the movies it looks like you just inspire people and then they just follow you ready to do whatever they are commanded. I think that was my leadership style in the early stages of my life when I was thrown into a leadership role at a summer camp or just playing with kids on a playground. Surprisingly they did not want to obey my commands

. I thought it for sure would be different when I would be their boss running a business or something like that. Never happened... My take is that to be an effective leader you have to be a people person. There are many styles obviously but it is the folks who take interest in others that seem to inspire the most. Be interested in others and in their needs and priorities (hopefully naturally) and you have to recognize others and give them credit and be a good listener and sense what people feel but don't say.... at least that's my opinion. There are many leadership styles and attributes but the most effective ones in my view seem to require a lot of work and a lot of prep. I don't know how to solve these issues but if you could get the folks interested and on board about your project, hopefully they would feel compelled and involved and helpful rather than envious. It is tricky for sure and you can't please everyone and some folks are just uncooperative and only care about defending their turf and see everyone as an invader and you just have to minimize your exposure and appease them maybe? I am trying to imagine and remember some of my challenges and failures (I am sure I had many). I think most of them were either due not getting enough support from my boss or misreading people or misreading the situation. A lot of it is a one-way streeet and hard to go back and restart esp if I screwed up and made a bad first impression but if you are serious about it, you keep trying again and again and improving (asking more questions, planning ahead of time, and understanding threats to your project). Not sure if you have done a Project Management course - I had the pleasure of doing one but threats to the project was one of the sides of it.... Not sure if this makes any sense but good you are busy

Businessconquerer · Answer

I do what I have learnt from my parents and even US government- Security to shackle- so basically the technique is to create a scenario where I care about their safety and not following through is a sabotage to their safety.
Also, I do know how to weaponise their feelings and use it, but truth be told I feel like a cheater when I do that. I tell myself that it is okay to do so in professional life but then people have done that to me in my personal life and I know that it makes me feel like a puppet.
Also, even after the inclusive approach to let them think that they are riding the vehicle and you're having the real steering (Just like Michael scott in the office on that Ship) people tend to figure that out at some point. I might need a 8-10 year long strategy for a really good way to deal with these challenges. 
Also the thing you said about movie like Inspirational speech- Literally every marvel movie comes to mind lol. The villain becomes a hero after people give him a good speech and then he drops his weapon and everything is okay. Totally never happens,, I mean never ever has it happened.

Idk but even if you are a people person who knows how to manipulate others using their motivation, I might need something more. May be since I grew up without people around, I need to develop the tendency to gain those interpersonal skills. I was just too much in books as I was instructed to be the class topper.
Also, how did you know that I am a project manager? I guess the threats are common across the industries- at least the people related ones.
Have an expired PMP I think. I never understand how a person is a project manager for three years and then it expires! I mean come on, right?

Businessconquerer · Answer

bb  You've never created FOMO?
I know that this is a globally done thing.
All managers do is award someone who was there for an event that no one showed up to and felt bad an award or a position that would make others feel missed out so that they join the events in the future.

Leadership Challenges

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards