Lots of learning to be had this week! Kamala Harris proved that it's time for women and people of color to LEAD. Here in the Philippines, forces in our government showed that they'd rather suppress academic freedom than allow for psychologically safe spaces where diversity can thrive (fun fact: all our team members are graduates or currently in University of the Philippines - this one hits home for us!).
But for today, we choose to focus on a story of leadership, America's new president, Joseph R. Biden.
Onboarding into a leadership role is always a high stakes, high pressure situation. Especially when you are taking on the role under a crisis situation, there is an even greater expectation to perform and make changes FAST. This week, let's look at what we can learn from how America's new president handled his transition.
Here are some tips we can learn from his approach. This is especially helpful for new leaders who are trying to find a way to start strong and keep the momentum.
Identify and directly verbalize the problems you and your organization are facing. Many leaders shy away from talking about problems because we want to cultivate a positive, energetic start. This good intent though rarely translates into positive action. Solutions cannot be identified without knowing exactly what it is that you are trying to solve. Your team and employees will appreciate a more transparent approach that levels with them about the exact condition of the team/organization they are in. Being real with your people is also a signal that you will continue being transparent in succeeding interactions. By verbalizing the problems, you will also create a FOCUS for the people around you. In President Biden's case, he called out systemic racism, the bending of truths, and the divide that America needs to grapple with for a "more perfect Union."
Be explicit about wanting to listen to diverse perspectives. Now more than ever, we are divided across so many aspects. From social class to skin color, to religious beliefs, and even the type of media we consume - the differences are not just felt. We can SEE them. As a leader, it is our responsibility to unite multiple perspectives - not to crush the beliefs of those different from us, but to find common guiding principles that will allow us to work together and find the best ways to move forward. It may sound common sense. It may sound like every other leader in the history of the world has promised to listen to diversity. But this is a line that we have to keep on repeating until we mean it, until our teams and organizations can feel it. The more we explicitly verbalize this, the more it will be at the forefront of how we behave as a leader.
Clarify your non-negotiables. How do you expect people to behave and treat each other? In a video call with his appointees, President Biden clearly told his new team, "I'll fire you if you treat someone with disrespect." These statements are strong, and they ought to be. As a leader, we have to be clear about what's acceptable and where we draw the line. This is a way for us to begin creating norms that will be standards of performance and guidelines for interaction. This is also helpful for our teams so that from the very beginning of their relationship with you, they have a baseline understanding of where you stand on certain values, issues, and behaviors.
Zone in on urgent concerns - and act fast. On his first day in office, some of the things President Biden did are: appointed a Covid-19 response coordinator, required social distancing and masks on all federal properties, ordered to rejoin the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, reversed the travel ban on predominantly Muslim countries. These are all targeting key concerns that influence the safety, security, and well-being of the people. Think about what issues in your organizations influence safety, security, and overall well-being. These are urgent concerns that need to be addressed because they directly influence the quality of life of our teams and organizations.
Don't be afraid of vulnerability. Get personal. Share your story. The tragedies faced by President Biden have been widely publicized. But it's not the tragedies that make him admirable - it's the way he tells his stories that make him an admirable leader. In recent years, we have been introduced to "strong man" leaders. These are usually men who cheer on violence, brag about their ability to hurt others, and just cannot stop talking about how they dehumanize women. In this world where "strong men" are idolized, it is easy to think that vulnerability is a sign of weakness. But research is telling us the opposite. Leaders who are able to admit their wrongs, apologize, ask for help, treat people with respect, and give others a glimpse of the values they hold dear, these are the kinds of leaders who are able to guide their countries or organizations through difficulties (Edmondson & Chamorro-Premuzic, HBR, 2020). When we see our leaders become vulnerable, we are able to get to know them better. We are able to understand their motivations. We see a glimpse of the intent behind why they do the things they do.
With President Biden's inauguration during one of the most challenging times not just in America's history but in the world, we get a rare glimpse of how a leader approached - and will continue to approach - rebuilding, unifying, and growing towards the future.
Want to get the specifics on these examples given above? Here are some of the sources we used:
President Biden's message to his appointees: Biden to appointees: I'll fire you if you treat someone with disrespect - YouTube
Inauguration Speech transcript: Biden's speech on Inauguration Day, annotated (cnn.com)
President Biden's send-off message at Delaware: Biden bids emotional farewell to Delaware before leaving for inauguration - YouTube
Article on vulnerability and leadership: Today’s Leaders Need Vulnerability, Not Bravado (hbr.org)
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