Challenging Up - How to Lead When You're Not in Charge
The Fulling team is wrapping up a video series! Each week in our staff meetings, we watch a culture & leadership video to aid in our professional and personal development. We are diving back into the series called How to Lead When You're Not in Charge by Clay Scroggins.
“Are you letting your lack of authority paralyze you?
One of the greatest myths of leadership is that you must be in charge in order to lead. Great leaders don’t buy it. Great leaders lead with or without the authority and learn to unleash their influence wherever they are.
With practical wisdom and humor, author and pastor Clay Scroggins will help you nurture your vision and cultivate influence, even when you lack authority in your organization. And he will free you to become the great leader you want to be so you can make a difference right where you are. Even when you’re not in charge.”
In this video, Clay went over 4 steps for Challenging Up in order to bring about change. He encouraged us to go in this order.
Advocate – Let them know you are for them, create emotional neutrality/safety and be relational
Ask – ask questions, have a posture of curiosity, seek to learn
Acknowledge – repeat what was said/what you heard
Advise – bring multiple solutions, you are where you are for a reason
In our discussion groups, the team mentioned that we try to bring about change a lot with our clients. These steps are helpful, and some will be trying them this week with a client to ask more questions. It takes time to build trust and the relationship to where a client will want to take your advice. It’s good to mention that change may take a lot of time up front but communicate the why as well and the time it will save in the long run.
We advocate for our clients with vendors, other team members, etc. all the time.
Some also related this to parenting and wanting to use these steps with our children to bring about change in them.
Food for Thought
In what ways could you advocate for your leader? What about your clients?
Have you ever had to ask for change with your team or client? How did it go?
Are there any changes that you believe would benefit one of your clients? What would it look like to bring that to them following this outline (Advocate, Ask, Acknowledge, Advise)?