Positive leadership… not MrWonderful!

This model of leadership arises from Adler and Dreikus’ Individual Psychology and Democratic Education. It is an approach that avoids excessive control and permissiveness, based on mutual respect and collaboration, and always with the objective of teaching the team the necessary skills to carry out their work.

We know that the traditional hierarchical system of companies undermines the talent and the decision-making and creative capacity of workers. Positive leadership is based on a horizontal development model, where the leader is one of the team, accompanies and guides them to enhance their talent and productivity, does not impose his knowledge, but helps the team to identify their own weaknesses and seek solutions.

The leadership style of reprimanding or even yelling erodes team trust and creates resentment, withdrawal and rebellion. The need to fight against the felt injustice and balance it may appear. Positive leadership, on the other hand, proposes a respectful leadership model where the way of relating to team members is based on recognition and affection.

The 6 principles of positive leadership

• Horizontal relationships: no one is superior to anyone else.
• Connection and sense of belonging: we need all team members to feel that they are part of the team.
• Long-term leadership: results are not immediate, we do not want to solve a problem only to have it happen again tomorrow. It’s about having a long-term vision of where we want to go.
• Encourages and encourages people: it is not punitive leadership. On the contrary, it is based on encouragement and support.
• Kindness and strength at the same time: combine both characteristics to avoid falling into authoritarianism or maximum permissibility. The leader applies them constantly and consistently.
• Viewing mistakes as learning opportunities: we are an example. We work on the basis of mistakes, always with the focus on learning and improving.

Ask yourself if what you are doing today will get you where you want to be tomorrow!

“errare humanum est”.

How do children learn? By trial and error and by imitation and modeling. What I do is more important than what I say.

“Don’t do what I tell you, do what I do!”

If there is no consistency between what we say and what we do, there is easily a disconnect in discourse. A good leader sets an example by his actions, not simply by imparting his knowledge.

In our day-to-day lives, we are constantly making decisions about ourselves, others and the world. The decision-making process follows the following scheme:

Perception -> interpretation -> belief -> decision –

Our decisions are influenced by our perception of the environment, and the interpretation we make of this perception. This interpretation is totally conditioned by our beliefs. And unfortunately we adults are very conditioned by our beliefs.

The 4 beliefs! What if these beliefs are dysfunctional?

Classical psychology focuses on changing dysfunctional behavior, whereas now we are going to focus on changing the belief that underlies that behavior. The leader will look for what dysfunctional belief is behind the team’s behaviors.

The team ends up building a belief based on what they observe and this will end up determining their behavior. Every behavior has a purpose. The key lies in finding in each team what their purpose is, what belief is guiding their behavior.

There are 4 dysfunctional beliefs that are basic in determining team behavior:

1. Not feeling recognition. You are not valued and you are not approved.
2. Not feeling a certain amount of decision-making power, each individual’s opinion is important.
3. Perceiving that what is happening in the environment is UNJUST. Or at least within the team.
4. To perceive that one has the capacity to contribute, to contribute. Assumed deficiency.

Certain strategies do not change behavior. The focus should be to look for the belief behind it and work on changing that belief. This is what allows for real and lasting change over time.

Because if we modify only behavior, it will be a short-term solution. If we do not change the belief that sustains it, it will arise again. Although it is much faster, it is not effective in the long run, and may not be respectful or kind.

2 fundamental techniques

• Connection before correction

Where did we get the absurd idea that in order for a worker to work well, we must first make him feel bad.

• Ask instead of order

Let’s change orders for questions, so that they encourage the worker to collaborate, develop autonomy and cooperate in problem solving. (delegation level). It has been shown that a command creates rejection chemically in our brain. Instead, by asking questions you involve the person in the resolution of problems and facilitate their collaboration.