When Leaders Struggle with Collaboration

I came across an article discussing When Leaders Struggle with Collaboration. Here are a few snippets that you might find interesting.

It’s not uncommon for talented leaders to find collaboration unnatural. After all, rugged individualism set them apart and propelled their careers. And for many, that same focus on distinguishing themselves later becomes their demise. Most of an enterprise’s...more

A client of Luis’s, let’s call him Charlie, a senior executive reporting directly to the CEO, was recently given feedback that despite his outstanding performance, his colleagues struggled to work with him. Charlie’s drive to deliver results, his no-nonsense approach to offering his viewpoints, and the intensity with which he approached most everything made him appear unnecessarily competitive, despite that being the furthest thing from his intent. As a result, without realising it, Charlie lost the trust of some of his most critical stakeholders: his peers.

Charlie isn’t alone in his struggle. As consultants and executive coaches to high-performing executives, we see this frequently. It’s not uncommon for talented leaders to find collaboration unnatural. After all, rugged individualism set them apart and propelled their careers. And for many, that same focus on distinguishing themselves later becomes their demise.

If you’re a leader who struggles to collaborate with your peers, you first need to understand why that is, then work to develop that skill.

Why collaboration doesn’t come easy

Before you can improve, it’s critical to reflect on why collaboration doesn’t come naturally to you. Here are some common reasons we’ve seen among leaders we’ve worked with.

·??????You’re competitive and fear being overshadowed.

·??????You’ve relied heavily on hierarchy to get things done.

·??????You’ve focused more on results than relationships.

·??????You have a hard time trusting.

·??????You don’t know how.

It may well be that collaboration is simply something you’ve never learned. It’s a complex set of skills and attributes. It combines active listening, managing conflict, shared problem solving, self-regulation, humility, curiosity, and a caring orientation toward others. Perhaps you’ve cultivated some of these things, but not enough of all of them for others to see you as genuinely collaborative. Make a careful inventory of behaviors for which you know you lack sufficient skill or orientation. This will help you narrow your development focus as you prioritise learning to be more collaborative.

Once you’ve determined what keeps you from collaborating comfortably, you can take steps to develop your collaboration skills and rebuild lost trust with others who’ve struggled to work with you. Remember what you learned above about?why?you struggle — those insights will inform where you begin your learning journey. The first set of strategies will help you consider the reputational capital you want to build or rebuild. The second set will focus on tangible ways to strengthen your collaborative connections with others.

First, determine what you want to be known for.

Your current behaviors are a reflection of the person that, consciously or unconsciously, you believe you are. So, if you want to be known as a collaborator, you first need to adopt the mindset of a collaborator. Here are some ways to get started:

·??????Be open to change and new ideas.

·??????Value others equally.

·??????Become someone others can rely on.

·??????Create moments of generosity.

·??????Share the spotlight and give credit.

·??????Ask for advice.

Take heart if you’re a leader needing to strengthen your collaboration. You can do it, even if it feels like an unnatural act. You’ve already achieved some success, which is evidence that you can work hard and learn. In today’s hyper-connected world, lone wolves are becoming a thing of the past. Today, inclusive, humble, and other-oriented leaders are seen as the most credible and influential. Effectively collaborating is key to becoming and remaining a leader of lasting impact.

Want to know more? Head on over to the full article here for more ideas and perspective. Afterwards, why not drop me an email to share your thoughts at [email protected]; or call me on 0467 749 378.

Thanks,

Robert