Just Don't Sit There

I'm willing to bet that if you have a family, that when you sit down for a meal you each have a defined 'spot' at the table.  So, give this a try.  Get to the table before your kids and sit in their 'spot' and then watch their reaction.  You can see it in their eyes; they feel empowered.  "Wow - I get to sit in Dad's spot" (I'm a Dad - but if your a Mom you will get the same reaction).

It's the same thing at work.  If you are a leader in your organization and you typically sit at the head of the table at your leadership team meetings, try sitting somewhere else at the table. Just try it.  It's interesting to see what happens.  

This is something that you may not even think about.  You rush in from your last meeting, barely able to get your head around what your next discussion will be and you walk into the room with your leadership team and you plunk yourself down at that same old place - the head of the table.  The power seat.  The chair where the decisions may, by default, get deferred to you. Now if that's what you want - autocracy - then always taking the coveted chair should be part of your platform.  However, if you are looking to take full advantage of the expertise around the table - then you might want to consider a different seat.   

McGregor (2005) observes about groups that are ineffective in accomplishing their purposes that, "The leadership remains clearly with the committee chairman. He may be weak or strong, but he sits always at the head of the table" (p. 318). And McGregor is not alone in noting this.

Harvard Business Review (2011) describes a similar sort of situation regarding teams that are infused with bickering and weakness.  They note,

...the leaders of the teams marked by extensive interpersonal conflict were either highly autocratic or weak. The CEO at Mercury Microdevices, for example, was the principal decision maker. There was a substantial gap in power between him and the rest of the team. In the decision we tracked, the CEO dominated the process from start to finish, identifying the problem, defining the analysis, and making the choice. Team members described the CEO as “strong” and “dogmatic.” As one of them put it, “When Bruce makes a decision, it’s like God!" (Kindle Location 2441-2445).

 Greenleaf and Spears (2005) describe it this way:

Sometimes it will be a servant's power of persuasion and example. Sometimes it will be coercive power used to dominate and manipulate people. The difference is that, in the former, power is used to create opportunity and alternatives so that individuals may choose and build autonomy. In the latter, individuals are coerced into a predetermined path. (Kindle Location 681-683)

Why is this important you may ask.  Well considering that research tells us that the actions of the leader make a significant impact on the climate of the organization and knowing that taking the seat at the head of the table lends itself to a more autocratic feel - if you want to encourage more collaboration and greater depth of discussion and thus forming a more positive atmosphere, choosing a different chair may be a good start.  

Roughly 50 to 70 percent of how employees perceive their organization’s climate can be traced to the actions of one person: the leader. More than anyone else, the boss creates the conditions that directly determine people’s ability to work well. (Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee, 2004, Kindle Location 437-439)

When you sit in a different location, you are providing a visual clue to the leadership team that you are not going to dominate the discussion.  You are open to letting the group hash through the items on the agenda.  Now this doesn't mean you don't take part - what it means is that you are all considered equals and your thoughts are thrown in with the others as part of the larger discussion.  No extra weight.  No coercion. It takes a leader with exceptional confidence in their team and who is secure in their abilities.  Kouzes and Posner (2010) note:

Effective leaders, by contrast, understand that their role is to bring out the answers in others. They do this by very clearly and explicitly seeking contributions, challenges, and collaboration from the people who report to them, using their positional power not to dominate but rather to drive the decision-making process. (Kindle Location 1076-1077).

They go on further to describe: 

Exemplary leaders are sensitive to the needs of others. They ask questions. They listen. They provide support. They develop skills. They ask for help. They align people in a common cause. They make people feel like anything is possible. They connect people to their need to be in charge of their own lives. They enable others to be even better than they already are. (Kindle Location 1094-1097)

So which leader are you?  The one who takes the head spot at the table or the one that leverages your team to its fullest by giving them the power to bring decisions to the table?  Or, maybe a better question is - which leader do you want to be?

I started with McGregor so I'm going to finish with him.  Here's how he describes the "not-so-head-of-the-table" leader:

The chairman of the group does not dominate it, nor on the contrary, does the group defer unduly to him . In fact, as one observes the activity, it is clear that the leadership shifts from time to time, depending on the circumstances. Different members, because of their knowledge or experience, are in a position at various times to act as “resources” for the group. The members utilize them in this fashion and they occupy leadership roles while they are thus being used. There is little evidence of a struggle for power as the group operates. The issue is not who controls but how to get the job done. (Kindle Location 4627-4631)

My advice to you...just don't sit there. 


Curt
(student of great leadership)



McGregor, Douglas (2005-12-21). The Human Side of Enterprise, Annotated Edition. McGraw-Hill. Kindle Edition

Kouzes, James M.; Posner, Barry Z. (2010-07-16). The Truth about Leadership: The No-fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know. Wiley. Kindle Edition.

Robert K. Greenleaf;Larry C. Spears. Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness 25th Anniversary Edition. Kindle Edition.

Harvard Business Review (2011-04-12). Harvard Business Review on Building Better Teams. Harvard Business Review Press. Kindle Edition.

Goleman, Daniel; Boyatzis, Richard E.; McKee, Annie (2004-02-26). Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead With Emotional Intelligence. Harvard Business Review Press. Kindle Edition.