Influence, People’s Instinctive Travels, and the Paths to Equity
Seeking equity? Start with influence
By Jared R. Francis | @jaredrfrancis
I've been preparing to onboard a new member of my leadership team. Beyond thinking about how to support her in the technical parts of her role, I've been considering all the other stuff, too: What does she need to know about the culture of our leadership team and the way we do business? What will her direct reports expect of her as leader? How do I want her to feel about our relationship? As I listed thoughts about each question, I noticed how much alignment there was, which shouldn't have been surprising. We know that a team's culture, for better or worse, is an outgrowth of its leaders' influence on others. How does this come to be? What implications does this have for our leadership? And can it help us reach our aspirations for equity and justice?
To be a master, you must submit to a master
One of the frequent items on the lists I generated was the idea of "servanthood" and "servant leadership." Servant leadership is a foundational component of my leadership practice. From this view, my purpose as a leader is to support others in actualizing their innate potential, which in turn increases our capacity to achieve our organization's mission. How did servanthood become central to my conception of leadership?
It didn't take long for me to recognize that it came from one of my mentors, a former manager, who has had a tremendous influence on my personal and professional life. In many ways, we were different: I was a twenty-something black kid from East Harlem beginning my leadership journey. She was an Italian woman from Long Island, looking ahead to a semi-retirement filled with grandkids and ritual Sunday dinners. In time, she became not just my boss, but a mentor and a friend.
For her, the idea of servanthood came less from her study of leadership theory, but from her deep and abiding faith. Although we spent very little time talking about faith or religion, we talked a lot about leadership, which she taught me was about acting in service of others. We didn’t just talking about servanthood in the abstract. It was reflected in our relationship: her pushing me to pursue my ideas, giving me hard feedback as often as I needed it, and over time, systematically de-centering her voice, so I could grow into my own. Through our relationship, I grew as a leader—honing my skills and developing my confidence—but I also recognized who I wanted to be as a father and partner.
And so, she is without a doubt one of the most influential people in my life. But what does it mean to have influence? Dan Rockwell recently wrote: "Influence happens when your example shows up in someone... long-term relationships seep into your bones". In my case, the actions and values of my mentor—which were grounded in her faith and taught to me as servant leadership—influenced how I lead today. Those values shaped my leadership practice, and now, by extension, the culture of my team and how they have come to lead as well.
We should understand that our relationships are conduits of our influence and opportunities to share our values with others.
Relationships for equity
The challenge for leaders is to align how we act in our relationships with the outcomes we want to see in the world. Our impact on those we lead cannot be understated. The relationships we form with them are likely to influence their development and trajectory, and ultimately the way they will influence others in the future. Leading at an organization whose mission is to improve the world is only one part of the equation. At times, the work, product, or outcomes we are leading our teams towards, do not outlast the influence we've had on people, and the influence they might have on countless others down the line. Indeed, the organization where my mentor and I worked together is no longer in operation! The folks we lead and influence today, will lead and influence others tomorrow. What kind of cultures will they create? Leaders committed to contributing to a more just and equitable world must form relationships that are consistent and congruent with those aspirations. For example:
If you believe in empowerment, how are you empowering one of your direct reports currently?
If you imagine a more democratic world, what structures exist for shared decision making on your team?
If you believe in diversity and inclusion, how is that reflected in a relationship with a team member?
If you think that our communities have the answers, to what extent are smaller teams allowed to decide their path within your organization?
Relationships are much more than how much we enjoy each other's company. Viewing our relationships through this lens connects the adaptive leadership and equity pillars of the leadership in color framework. Relationships are the sum of the ongoing dynamics and actions that exist between people. When one person is the leader, manager, coach, and the other, the learner, employee, or mentee, influence is an intended outcome. In these relationships, leaders establish culture; share values and practices, which all become lessons learned for others to carry forward and enact. Consider then, is your leadership practice and management style aligned to the world you want to see? Is the influence you are having on others inspiring them to carry that vision forward?
