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Kindle Notes & Highlights
Great leaders leverage influence and relationships over title and position.
“They just want me to fit in the mold, toe the line, and follow the rules.”
Influence has always been, and will always be, the currency of leadership.
there are some bosses who are insecure, unaware, and defensive and are intimidated if you choose to exercise any kind of leadership when you’re not yet in charge.
Mr. Truhett had a laminated picture of Han Solo and Chewbacca that read, “Hall Pass: It’s dangerous to go Solo! Take a Wookie with you.” That still cracks me up!
Here’s the truth you need to know: Your boss is not in charge of you. You are in charge of you.
You are in charge of you. You are in charge of your emotions, your thoughts, your reactions, and your decisions. It’s the law of personal responsibility, because everyone is responsible for leading something,
When you’re not in charge, you can still take charge.
Self-Leadership Principle #1: Model Followership.
Self-Leadership Principle #2: Monitor Your Heart and Behavior.
Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter.
There are a few questions that have helped me zero in on how to respond to what God has put in front of me.
Questions to ask myself
Choosing to believe your boss owes you nothing, or at least very little, is a powerful step forward for the relationship.
The greatest benefit I bring my team is not my talents, gifts, experience, or education. It’s my energy.
You are not ready for your boss’s job. Why would I say that? Because you’re not in your boss’s job.
CRITICAL THINKING AS A SKILL
Every good leader is also a critical thinker. Leaders intuitively know how to make something better.
thinkers don’t just criticize and whine; they learn. They start by questioning things. Why do we do it this way? Is there a better way? What would happen if we stopped that? Why is this working? What’s the real “win” here?
Critical thinkers are also able to connect things.
It involves questioning assumptions, noticing abnormalities, and connecting the dots between feelings and actions.
Shift #1: Stop thinking as an employee.
Shift #2: Stop stacking your meetings. Start scheduling thinking meetings.
Shift #3: Stop being critical. Start thinking critically.
the sense that one’s actions are controlled or confined by the person who is dreaded.”5 You don’t mean to get caught in a snare. You just didn’t plan to avoid getting caught
boss to tell you what to do, your boss then has to think about how to do their job and your job. If you’re always waiting to be handed more responsibility or a new opportunity, you’ll likely become someone who can’t be handed anything of importance.
ones handling the most and taking the initiative to find and solve the problems I haven’t even noticed yet. So if you’re not busy, get busy! A waiting posture doesn’t win in the long run.
Be prepared to propose a plan on what you’re doing to rehabilitate the player.”
never present your boss with just a problem.
You’re not going to bump into leadership or wait your way into it.
The instinct to do what needs to be done is an essential aspect of leadership.
“Leaders must be agents of change.”
Challenge brings change, and change is inherently challenging.
Great leaders don’t get defensive.
I came to the conclusion that every leader does what seems right to them in the moment.
Great leaders challenge up with the best motives.
Great leaders are keenly aware of what the boss is most interested in.
Great leaders know what’s core and what’s peripheral. And they police themselves accordingly.
Great leaders challenge up quietly, but they are not silent.
he communicated like a submarine.
Here’s the takeaway: if you’ve never had the Chick-fil-A milkshake, you’ve got to try it. And as you are enjoying that tasty treat, let it remind you of the power you have to challenge up.
In what you say, are you building that bridge or are you putting up a wall?
Blaming the current situation on anyone, especially your boss
Remember: how well you challenge will determine how much you change.
As I mentioned last chapter, when you decide to challenge up, nothing is more important than the relationship you have with the person you’re challenging.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” In other words, put yourself to the side.
I cannot overemphasize how important this is. Leadership is not simply a matter of authority. Leadership is about influence. And challenging up is a form of leadership.
To build trust, practice faithfulness.
wouldn’t try obedience practice with your boss, but I do find it helpful to employ a similar idea. When emotions are low and we’re speaking in hypotheticals,
When I disagree with something I see, what’s the best way to bring that up with you?” It’s amazing how disarming that question can be.
Champion publicly. Challenge privately.
