What does it mean to be a leader
of leaders? There is no lack of books
about leading those who are responsible to you due to your designated position
in the church or organization. A
leadership subject that is not often addressed is how to be a leader among those
who are your peers. I was recently
introduced to the term “lateral leadership” to describe this competency. We may know how to work with our supervisors
or how to supervise others, but how do we work with others who are at the same level
as we are?
Here
are some things to consider in exercising lateral leadership.
1. Be a person of integrity. Of course, this should be true of any leader,
but when you work with your peers, trust and respect are essential. Peers must know that you will follow through on
your commitments and share not only responsibilities but recognition as well. Competency in your work is important, but
consistency in word and deed is essential.
2. Cultivate and value relationships. In his book, Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time, Keith Ferazzi
explains that successful people develop and use the power of relationships so
that everyone wins: “You can’t get there alone.
In fact, you can’t get very far at all.”
This is not just a transactional process where there is a direct one to
one exchange of “You give me this and I will give you that.” This is a genuine investment in the lives of
others. Relationships enrich our lives
and pay off in unexpected ways.
3. Give to others. In Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success, Adam
Grant poses this question: “Every time we interact with another person at work,
we have a choice to make: do we try to
claim as much value as we can, or contribute value without worrying about what
we receive in return?” We are dealing here
with one’s reciprocity preference.
Grant observes that people tend to be givers,
takers, or matchers in social relationships.
Takers like to get more than they give.
Givers go the other direction, preferring to give more than they
get. Matchers seek an equal balance of
giving and getting. The surprise in
Grant’s research is that givers ultimately are more successful than matchers or
takers.
Most important,
Grant writes, “Givers succeed in a way that creates a ripple effect, enhancing
the success of people around them. You’ll
see that the difference lies in how giver success creates value, instead of
just claiming it.”
In summary,
the best way to exercise lateral leadership is to be a servant leader. As Jesus said, “For it is the one who is least among you all who is the
greatest.” Luke 9:48, NIV) When
we care for and support others, they will value us both as colleagues and
coworkers. When we help them win, we
win, too.
Comments