Leadership: Power Players: Navigating the Unseen Influencers
Power Player Type | Role in Organization | How Leaders can Navigate Influence |
---|---|---|
Bosses | Provide supervision and direction to subordinate leaders | Keeping them constantly updated on project progress, seeking their feedback and guidance |
Centralized Services (e.g., Legal, HR, IT) | Protect the company's interests, may have different priorities | Engage them early in the process to align priorities and receive advice |
Primary Decision Makers (e.g., CEO) | Make strategic decisions that impact the entire organization | Understand their role & impact and consider their decisions on projects |
Organization's investors | Provide capital, may influence the organization's strategic direction | Consider their relationship and influence when making decisions |
Unofficial Executive Team Members | Possess significant influence despite lacking formal title/position | Identify these players and be aware of their respective impacts |
Observers (e.g., Press, Analysts) | Shape public perception of the organization | Maintain awareness of their observations and potential impacts |
Project Managers | Assigned responsibility for the delivery of solutions | Involve them early and regularly in decision making processes |
Front-Line Employees | Implement decisions; have direct contact with customers | Communicate openly and regularly, ensuring their buy-in and understanding |
Customers | Use products/services; their satisfaction determines company's success | Seek regular feedback, adjust strategies based on customers needs and preferences |
Suppliers | Provide essential goods/services for company's operations | Maintain good relationships, involve them in decision making affecting them |
Introduction
Leadership: Navigating the Unseen Influencers
Keeping Bosses in the Loop
Centralized Services
Identifying Power Players
Major Decision Makers
Related Course: Leadership Course
Introduction: Leadership involves more than just the person in charge; it also affects the unseen influencers who can impact any project's success or failure. It is essential to keep bosses in the loop, identify power players, and understand the influence of power players. Additionally, it is necessary to recognize the impact of centralized services and the relationships between the organization and its investors.
This article discussed the concept of power players and how they can influence any project's success or failure. Therefore, leaders must keep their bosses in the loop, identify power players, and understand their influence. By doing so, leaders can better navigate the unseen influencers and ensure their projects are successful.
Leadership: Navigating the Unseen Influencers
Leadership is a complex and often misunderstood concept. It involves more than just the person in charge; it also affects the unseen influencers who can impact any project's success or failure. These power players can be found in any organization, and leaders must understand how to identify and manage them. This article will discuss the importance of keeping bosses in the loop, identifying power players, the influence of power players, and a summary of the key points.
Keeping Bosses in the Loop
The first rule of leadership is to keep your bosses in the loop. It is essential to provide updates on any project or initiative you are leading and to ensure they are kept up to date on the progress. This not only keeps them informed but also prevents them from having to guess what you are doing. It also helps to ensure they can provide feedback and guidance.
Centralized Services
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In addition to keeping bosses in the loop, it is essential to recognize the influence of centralized services such as legal, HR, security, pricing, and IT. These services exist to protect the company, but their priorities may not always align with your own. For example, legal may be very cautious about using open-source software in a product, so it is essential to bring them in early enough that they can provide advice on which open-source projects are suitable.
Identifying Power Players
When it comes to identifying power players, there are a few key players to consider. The first is the primary decision-makers in the organization, such as the CEO and other high-level executives. It is essential to understand their roles and how their decisions can affect the success or failure of a project. Additionally, it is necessary to consider the relationships between the organization and its investors. These relationships can have a significant influence on the organization's direction and should be taken into account when making decisions.
In addition to the primary decision-makers, it is essential to consider the unofficial executive team members. These people may not have a formal title or position but still have influence over the organization. They may be informal advisors or have relationships with the primary decision-makers. It is essential to be aware of these players and their impact.
Finally, it is essential to consider the observers. These people may not have a direct role in the organization but still, have an influence. For example, they may be members of the press, industry analysts, or other stakeholders who are watching the organization and can impact its success or failure.
The Influence of Power Players
Once the power players have been identified, it is essential to understand their influence. This can be done by understanding their roles and how they can influence the organization's decisions. It is also necessary to consider their relationships with the primary decision-makers and how these can affect any project outcome.
Conclusion: In conclusion, leaders need to understand the concept of power players and how they can influence any project's success or failure. It is essential to keep bosses in the loop, identify power players, and understand their influence. By doing so, leaders can better navigate the unseen influencers and ensure their projects are successful.
Leadership is not about having the most power but understanding and leveraging unseen influencers.
Dr. Nadja Marie Schmid is a leadership and management professor dedicated her career to helping students achieve their full potential. She has been published in numerous journals and is a frequent speaker at conferences worldwide.
Dr. Schmid's research focuses on understanding how leaders can create an environment where employees can reach their highest level of performance. She believes that the key to success is creating a culture of trust, respect, and collaboration.