Persuasion: A Key Leadership Skill by Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa

Photo Credit: Laurie Madden Mire/
Laurie Mire Photography

I have good news for you.  You don’t have to be a slick salesperson in order to be persuasive.  The skill of persuasion is simply the ability to convince others rather than coercing compliance. During a recent seminar I conducted at Texas State Technical Institute, the skill of persuasion was one that prompted the most discussion.  The Servant Leader primarily relies on making decisions within an organization based on persuasion rather than positional authority. 

In other words, you will never hear the Servant Leader say, “do it because I am the boss and I say to.”  This particular element offers one of the clearest distinctions between the traditional authoritarian model of leadership and the concept of servant leadership.  The technique of convincing rather than coercing is one of the most effective ways a Servant Leader can build consensus within groups.

Photo Credit for remaining pictures:
Google Images

Instead of making a big deal about something and telling your colleagues that they have to change, “or else,” the Servant Leader has learned to use a method of gentle but clear and persistent persuasion.  Leadership by persuasion has the ability to encourage change by convincement rather than coercion.  Its advantages are enormous.  Just think about it, aren’t you more apt to make a change if someone has convinced you of it as opposed to telling you that you MUST change because the boss said so?  In order to be highly persuasive, a leader must have developed relationships with others. Effective leaders are able to form bonds with others that result in relationships.  These relationships allow for open communication that lay the way for trust.  People who trust you will be more easily persuaded by you.

A final point to keep in mind is this…effective Servant Leaders who are great persuaders don’t ask themselves, “who can help me?” but instead ask, “whom can I help?”  There are some basic techniques that can help you develop your persuasive skills.  I hope you will try some of them this week and join me on this great journey to become the most effective Servant Leader we can be. 

As discussed in more detail in my book, Are You a 10? The Ten Characteristics of a Servant Leader (2010), the following tips can help you as you develop your persuasion skills:

• Create Transparency
• Practice Fairness
• Develop Consistency
• Build Consensus

Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa is a mother, educator, and wife living in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.  She is a PhD student with Our Lady of the Lake University in Leadership Studies.  Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa is currently researching the relationship between the leadership of the high school principal and the high school drop out rate.  This article is an excerpt from the  book, Are You A Ten?  The Ten Characteristics of a Servant Leader.   For ordering information, please contact Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa at Barbara@leadershipempoewrmentgroup.com or like us on Facebook at Leadership Empowerment Group, LLC.  Ordering information can also be found at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.

A Sense of Awareness by Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa

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Robert K. Greenleaf (1970) described awareness as a disturber and awakener.  In order to lead more effectively, one must have a keen sense of awareness.  A general awareness, as well as a self- awareness, is necessary for a leader to ensure that the correct actions are taken. 

Photo Credits: Google Images

Many times we all know of things that are just not right, but we hesitate to acknowledge them because then by the sheer fact of awareness we are responsible for doing something.  It is much easier to stick our heads in the sand and not allow ourselves to be aware of things around us that may need changing. 

Kouzes and Posner (2007) listed Self- Awareness as one of the domains of Emotional Intelligence.  The authors explain that if a leader is not aware of his/her strengths and weaknesses, then there is no path for improvement.  Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee (2002) also describe Self-Awareness as a key characteristic of Resonant Leadership.  The authors state, “simply put, self-awareness means having a deep understanding of one’s values and motives” (p. 40). 

Leaders who are self-aware know exactly where they are going because they understand their values, goals, and dreams.   According to Kouzes and Posner (2007), “learning to be a better leader requires great self-awareness, and it requires making ourselves vulnerable.  Modeling that for others makes it easier for them to do the same when it becomes their turn” (p. 87). These leaders typically engage in self reflection and time of thought. 

In order to be able to address weaknesses that were discovered through the process of becoming self-aware, the following should be considered.

·         Step back and gain perspective

·         Ask yourself what new skills and knowledge you need

·         Set goals and make a plan

·         Get help and support from others

Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa is a mother, educator, and wife living in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.  She is a PhD student with Our Lady of the Lake University in Leadership Studies.  Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa is the President of the Leadership Empowerment Group, LLC and is currently researching the relationship between the leadership of the high school principal and the high school drop out rate.  Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa is the author of Are You A Ten?  The Ten Characteristics of a Servant Leader.   

For ordering information, please contact Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa at Barbara@leadershipempowermentgroup.com or visit Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.

Are You Up for the Challenge? By Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa

PHOTO CREDITS: http://i-lead.com and Google Images

In The Leadership Challenge (2007), Kouzes and Posner describe leaders as ordinary people who are accomplishing extraordinary things by seeing challenging circumstances as opportunities to practice leadership.  Through research, surveys, and case studies  the authors describe five practices of exemplary leadership, along with ten basic commitments for applying these practices.

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 The five practices of exemplary leadership that the authors identify are:  (1) Model the Way, (2) Inspire a Shared Vision, (3) Challenge the Process, (4) Enable Others to Act, and (5) Encourage the Heart.

When describing Model the Way, the authors emphasize that exemplary leaders understand that even the word “leader” means to go first.  Modeling means going first and living the behaviors you want to see in others.  Kouzes and Posner state, “leaders take every opportunity to show others by their own example that they’re deeply committed to the values and aspirations they espouse” (pg. 75).   The authors also explain that in order for a leader to Model the Way, the leader must first know what to model. 

The authors describe many processes for developing a self-awareness that will allow the leader to identify shared values.  This process of self-awareness has also been extensively researched by Robert K. Greenleaf (1970) in his work on Servant Leadership.  Greenleaf states that awareness is a disturber and an awakener.  In addition, Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee (2002) identified Self-Awareness as a domain of Emotional Intelligence that is essential for a leader to create resonance in an organization.  Bass & Avolio (1994) also discussed the idea of modeling the way when they described transformational leadership in terms of Idealized Influence.

Inspire a Shared Vision is the second practice described by Kouzes and Posner when defining exemplary leadership practices.  Inspire a Shared Vision is described as the ability to communicate effectively a shared vision that others take as their own.  The authors discuss the need for a leader to be able to envision the future.  Exemplary leaders “are able to envision the future, to gaze across the horizon of time and imagine the greater opportunities to come” (pg. 105).  Greenleaf (1970) also described the importance of leaders being forward looking in his description of the Servant Leadership characteristic of Foresight.  Greenleaf stated that a leader must learn from the lessons of the past in order to plan for the future.  In addition, other researchers such as Bass & Avolio (1994) addressed the concept of vision when they described transformational leadership.

The third practice as described by Kouzes and Posner is Challenge the Process.  The authors explain that exemplary leaders are adopters of innovation.  The authors continue with an explanation of how innovation comes from a leader’s ability to listen and communicate effectively.  Again, there is a connection with Greenleaf’s work on Servant Leadership (1970).  Greenleaf explains that servant leaders must develop the characteristic of Listening in order to lead and serve effectively.  Goleman, et al. (2002) also describes the importance of listening and innovation in the Emotional Intelligence domain of Relationship Management. Kotter’s change process (1996) is also correlated with Challenging the Process as it involves how a leader leads through change.

Enable Others to Act is the fourth practice detailed by the authors of The Leadership Challenge (2007).  This practice is described as the ability of the leader to encourage people and help them feel they are able to put their ideas in action.  Greenleaf (1970) described an effective leader as a person who helps others grow personally, professionally, and spiritually.  In research conducted by Goleman, et al. (2002), the leadership style of Coaching describes a leader who says, “Try this.”

The final practice listed by Kouzes and Posner is Encourage the Heart.  People act best when they are passionate about what they are doing.  It is the leader’s job to release the energy and enthusiasm in others with the use of stories and other communication techniques.  This practice is similar to the leadership style of Affilitative as described by Goleman, et al. (2002).

           

Are you ready for the challenge of leadership?  In order to be a more effective leader, please consider the following:

·         Leaders are active learners – one reason leaders are active learners is because they are humble about their own abilities.

·         Treat every job as an adventure – approach every new assignment as an opportunity to start over.

·         Seize the initiative – guide others through adversity, uncertainty, and hardships.

Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa is a mother, educator, and wife living in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.  She is a PhD student with Our Lady of the Lake University in Leadership Studies.  Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa is the President of the Leadership Empowerment Group, LLC and is currently researching the relationship between the leadership of the high school principal and the high school drop out rate.  Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa is the author of Are You A Ten?  The Ten Characteristics of a Servant Leader.   For ordering information, please contact Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa at Barbara@leadershipempowermentgroup.com or visit Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com

The Power of Focus by Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa

One of the ways a leader can get consistent results is with the power of focus.  We all can focus on what we choose to focus on so why not use that power to make real change in our lives? 

As Kohlreiser wrote, “one of the secrets of high performers is their ability to tune out unnecessary clutter so that they can stay focused on what they need to do to maintain a positive state” (pg. 29).  The power of both success and failure begins inside our minds.  

Through the choice of our focus, we all have the power to create a winning or a losing cycle in our lives and the lives of others.  How many people do you know who continue to exist in a state of unhappiness and seem to do nothing about it? 

Our goal should be to understand the power of focus in order to create the future we want.  In our example, others will learn to change their situations as well. 

Visualization is a method practiced by many successful leaders and athletes. The goal of visualizing is to “see” in our mind’s eye, what we want to accomplish and picture achieving our goals in every possible detail.  Having a vision helps people stay focused on the goal and allows the capacity to communicate and share the vision with others.  Effective leaders understand the importance of effectively sharing a vision and persuading others to become eager partners in reaching the established goals.

Every aspect of our lives has both a negative and a positive element.  Using our ability to focus, we are able to make a choice to either focus on the negative or the positive.  It is a choice!  We can choose, by way of focus, to be positive, negative, and happy.  

Those who chose to focus on the negative put themselves in a losing cycle that can replicate itself with others.  Today, let’s choose to focus on the positive.  We owe it to our world.  When we find meaning and purpose by focusing on the positive, we are likely to find the greatest personal power to achieve our goals. 

The following are some tips that may help you focus on the positive this week:

·        Place visual pictures and reminders where they can be constantly seen.

·        Visualize all the details of achieving your goals.

·        Imagine the feeling of success.

*Photo Credits: Google Images*

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Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa is a mother, educator, and wife living in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.  She is a PhD student with Our Lady of the Lake University in Leadership Studies.  Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa is the President of the Leadership Empowerment Group, LLC and is currently researching the relationship between the leadership of the high school principal and the high school drop out rate.  Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa is the author of Are You A Ten?  The Ten Characteristics of a Servant Leader.   For ordering information, please contact Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa at Barbara@leadershipempowermentgroup.com or visit Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com

Spring is Time to Get Organized by Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa

Many Servant Leaders have learned that organization is an important skill to master.  For many leaders, organization of time and environment are essential in order to promote efficiency.  Many leaders find it easier to be more productive and relaxed in an organized setting that can create a stress free environment.  Effective leaders have found that when thoughts are organized and minds are clear, production increases.

According to Robert K. Greenleaf, one of the ten characteristics of an effective Servant Leader is Conceptualization.  In my book, Are You a 10? The Ten Characteristics of a Servant Leader (2010) an entire chapter is devoted to the skill of Conceptualization. 

Conceptualization is the skill that allows one to nurture abilities to dream great dreams.  One of the activities to develop this skill is organization.  An effective Servant Leader has set both personal and professional goals and encourages goal setting in others.  In order for one to work effectively toward goals, organization is helpful and many times necessary.

The following are a few suggestions on how to organize the work environment.

Color Code Folders – assign a color for each of your tasks.  For example, you might use the color red for all information pertaining to taxes.  Receipts and other important tax documents could be placed in the red folder for future reference.

Calendars –  use a wall calendar to help everyone in the family or in the office be up to date and notified of important activities and events.

Organizers and Planners– use an organizer or planner to track important dates and meetings.  Organizers can be found in a paper format or electronically.

Organize the Office- make sure there are no stacks of papers cluttering your office.  Un-cluttering your surroundings can help reduce frustration and increase efficiency.  When important information is received, it may be filed, acted upon but never put in a pile of other papers.

Computer and E-mail– very similar to color coding your paper files, make sure documents and emails are filed in electronic folders.  Always back up your hard drive to protect yourself from losing all your files.

Organizing Thoughts– organization is not all about paper and electronic files.  Organizing our thoughts is also important to workplace efficiency.  Never rely on immediate responses.  Allow time to process information and formulate an appropriate response.

Create the Atmosphere- the atmosphere in which we all work is important since we spend the majority of our day there.  If possible, choose a paint color for the office that promotes professionalism and relaxation.  Decorative items for a work environment should be things that make people smile such as photographs and inspirational posters.  Finally, play calming music that stimulates the thinking process.  Music such as soft piano or classical music are good options.

Greenleaf, R.K. (2006). The servant leader within: A transformative path. Paulist Press:

            New York.

Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa is a mother, educator, and wife living in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.  She is a PhD student with Our Lady of the Lake University in Leadership Studies.  

Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa is the President of the Leadership Empowerment Group, LLC and is currently researching the relationship between the leadership of the high school principal and the high school drop out rate.  Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa is the author of Are You A Ten?  The Ten Characteristics of a Servant Leader.   

For ordering information, please contact Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa at Barbara@leadershipempowermentgroup.com or visit Amazon.com. 

What We Need is a Little More Convincing and a Little Less Coercing By Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa

Did you know that one of the most important ways to deal with others is through influence and persuasion?  In today’s organizations, workers show little regard for authority while electronic communication and globalization have further diminished the hierarchy that has existed in business and organizations for decades.

Today’s workers often don’t just ask “what should I do?” but “why should I do it?”  Because of these changing times, leaders must be able to answer the “why” question in order for productivity to take place.  

Persuasion is the skill that will help the leader succeed in the 21^st century organization by convincing others instead of coercing.

As today’s leader, your organization’s success may depend on your ability to get things done.  In order to get things done, leaders must be able to persuade others.  In fact, effective leaders must be able to convince others to take action even when there is no formal authority.

Not only must the persuasive leader construct a rational argument, but must also be able to frame the idea with approaches and solutions that appeal to workers.  

In order to effectively persuade others, leaders must be constantly working on building relationships with those we work and live with.  Before trying to persuade others to do something, leaders must know something about the audience before preparing any arguments. 

One way this can be done is through dialogue and candid conversations.  Effective leaders invite people to discuss solutions, debate positions, and offer honest and candid feedback.

In Are You a 10? The Ten Characteristics of a Servant Leader (2010), I discuss ways to develop Persuasion Skills.  The following are three important steps to leading through persuasion.

1. Create transparency and credibility. Persuasion is about being open, honest, and accountable.  Credibility is usually developed through expertise and relationships. Listen actively to other people's suggestions. Establish an environment in which candid discussions are encouraged.  Be truthful.

2. Create relationships.  Speak a little less, listen a little more.  Remain positive.  Communicate better.  Encourage others.  A relationship must demonstrate both intellectual and emotional commitment. 

3. Build consensus. Structure discussions with vivid language and compelling evidence that originates from strong data.  List issues on paper.  Listen to the opinions of others.  Get conflict out in the open.  Recognize and value differing opinions.

One key component to being persuasive is the strength of your relationships with those you work and live with.  Successful leaders have the ability to develop relationships that last.  In today’s economic environment, we all have to build successful work relationships and interact with people in a positive way in order to achieve our goals.

Photo Credits: Google Images

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Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa is a mother, educator, and wife living in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.  She is a PhD student with Our Lady of the Lake University in Leadership Studies.  Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa is the President of the Leadership Empowerment Group, LLC and is currently researching the relationship between the leadership of the high school principal and the high school drop out rate.  Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa is the author of Are You A Ten?  The Ten Characteristics of a Servant Leader.   For ordering information, please contact Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa at Barbara@leadershipempowermentgroup.com. 

Can you really walk in someone else’s shoes?

By Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa

Very simply put, empathy means we can walk in someone else’s shoes (not literally like this cartoon, of course).  Can you share another person’s feelings?  For a great leader, especially a Servant Leader, showing empathy and acceptance of others is essential to the growth and development of the people who live and work with them.  The truth is, anybody can lead perfect people.  However, I haven’t met a perfect person yet, have you?  Even though the work performance of others may be judge critically, people grow taller and perform their work tasks better when those who lead them empathize and accept them.

 

Empathy is a vehicle for effective understanding, communication, and relationships.  It is essential to find the solutions to problems that are so prevalent in today’s economic world.  Empathy is essential in handling complaints, retaining customers, building relationships, and leading others at home and in the workplace.  Most modern gurus in the areas of communications, management, and self development refer in one way or another to the importance of empathy.  We need to learn how to really understand another person’s feelings and emotions in order to promote professional and personal growth in ourselves and in others.

Showing empathy to your colleagues and family will help build trust because a leader who can empathize with others can also be trusted.   Acquiring empathy is about being in tune with who you are as a person.  The good news is, empathy involves skills and social beliefs, most of which can be learned.  I believe that people working on and developing their empathy skills can ultimately end some of the human suffering that happens on a daily basis in our world…it is THAT important and powerful!

Empathy is not an easy skill to learn and it is definitely not an easy skill to teach.  But, with some practice and patience (and yes, prayer), you will be able to refine and develop your empathy skills this week by working on the following suggestions.  Keep in mind that by becoming more empathetic, you are one step closer to becoming a more effective Servant Leader.  We all should be more conscious of how we relate to others because this world could use a few more Servant Leaders, don’t you agree?

Empathy Lesson #1 – 

Reflect on Your Own Feelings and Distinguish Them from the Feelings of Others

                        Recognize your own needs

                        Regulate your own emotional responses

                        Become more self aware

                        Take another person’s perspective on a subject

Empathy Lesson #2 – 

Imagine the Perspective of another Person

                        Discover what you have in common with others

                        Cultivate compassion

                        Have an Open Door Policy at work,
                               encouraging others to talk to you

                        Practice your listening skills

Empathy Lesson #3 – 

Bounce Back from Negative Emotions

                        Think before you act

                        Don’t let yourself dwell on the negative

                        Find something positive about the situation

                        Be thankful today for all that is good and right in your world

Empathy Lesson #4 – 

Establish Rapport with Others

                        Take time to get to know people

                        Try to identify and relate to others

                        Identify rapport-establishing phrases

                        Use a communication style that is sympathetic and interested

Empathy Lesson #5 – 

Reflect

                        Realize that empathizing is hard work

                        Recognize your own biases

                        Develop an appetite for learning about other cultures

                        Keep an open mind and a positive attitude

Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa is a mother, educator, and wife living in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.  She is a PhD student with Our Lady of the Lake University in Leadership Studies.  Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa is the CEO of The Main Thing Leadership Coaching Firm and is currently researching the relationship between the leadership of the high school principal and the high school drop out rate.  This article is an excerpt from the self published book, Are You A Ten?  The Ten Characteristics of a Servant Leader.   For ordering information, please contact Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa at Barb313679@aol.com.

Are you a good listener? by Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa

An old Italian proverb says, “From listening comes wisdom, from speaking comes repentance.”  In today’s technological world, listening is not practiced as much as it should be.  However, a true servant leader will listen first because true listening builds strength in others.  As Robert Greenleaf said, “In saying what I have in mind, will I really improve the silence?” 

Listening can be described as an attitude toward other people.  You may think that you are a good listener, but do the people around you agree or disagree?  Has anyone ever looked at you with a disappointed expression and said, “Are you listening to me?”   Let’s face it, being a good listener is not as easy as it sounds.  We’ve all drifted off into our own thoughts when we were supposed to be paying attention to what someone else was saying.  Maybe it is because the subject matter is boring or the person speaking is just not interesting.  Or, perhaps, we are distracted with our own personal issues.  Whatever it is, we all could use some tips on how to be better listeners.

If we can become better listeners, we will retain more information, spend less time trying to recall information, improve our quality of work, and strengthen our relationships.  It takes concentration and determination to be an active listener.  Old habits are hard to break, and if the listening habits you have developed over time are as many people’s are, then there’s a lot of habit breaking to do.  Be deliberate with your listening and remind yourself constantly that your goal is to truly hear what the other person is saying. 

So, are you a good listener?  I think we can all use some tips to become a better listener, don’t you?  So, what do you say, let’s work on using active listening today to become a better communicator and improve your workplace productivity and relationships.  We all should be working to become a more servant leader in our homes and our workplaces.  The following five daily exercises will help you become a more effective listener as you travel down the road to becoming a more effect servant leader.

Lesson #1 – Pay Attention!

                        Listen more than you speak

                        Stay focused on what the other person is saying

                        Look at the speaker directly

                        Put aside distracting thoughts

                        Stop doing other things

Lesson #2 – Provide Feedback

                        Focus on using body language

                        Make eye contact

                        Uncross your arms

                        Nod occasionally

                        Turn your shoulders so that you are facing the speaker

Lesson #3 – Defer Judgment

                        Be open minded

                        Allow the speaker to finish

                        Don’t interrupt with counter-arguments

                        Validate the speaker

                        Share in the speaker’s emotions and feelings

Lesson #4 – Respond Appropriately

                        Resist the urge to dominate the conversation

                        Ask questions to clarify certain points

                        Be candid, open, and honest in your responses

                        Ask open ended questions to promote further discussions

                        Don’t say, “I told you so.” Or “I knew that.”

Lesson #5 – Exercise Your Mind

                        Realize that listening is hard work

                        Recognize your own biases

                        Develop an appetite for hearing a variety of presentations

                        Prepare to listen by having an open mind and a positive 

                           mental attitude

                        Research topics of concern in your household or industry

Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa is a mother, educator, and wife living in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.  She is a PhD student with Our Lady of the Lake University in Leadership Studies.  Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa is the CEO of The Main Thing Leadership Coaching Firm and is currently researching the relationship between the leadership of the high school principal and the high school drop out rate.  This article is an excerpt from the self published book, Are You A Ten?  The Ten Characteristics of a Servant Leader.   For ordering information, please contact Mrs. Baggerly-Hinojosa at Barb313679@aol.com.

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We look forward to you sharing and your feedback on all of the posts. Thanks a Billion in advance!