Side by Side Leadership: Self Assessment

Side by Side Leadership® Is Reciprocal

Side by Side leadership is a new leadership model that produces 20-30% improvements in performance because it engages the hearts and minds of everyone in the organization. The last article presented the ways top down or authoritarian leadership turns off the thinking of followers when the leader does all of the talking and makes all of the decisions. The table showed how one-way communication and authoritarian leadership produces inverse and opposite behaviors in under-performing followers. This article describes how two-way and participative leadership turns on thinking and performance in all contributors. An interesting relationship forms when leaders ask other people thoughtful questions. A good question has the potential to turn on the thinking of the individual. To identify a good question the leader must think about the person and the work they do. This process also helps the leader think. In addition, when a leader listens to the ideas of the contributors, the leader communicates respect for the thinking and for the person. The inverse and opposite behavior, in response to a leader who listens, is for the contributor to talk. Side by side leaders who ask for solutions to problems from their contributors put their contributors in a position of being more independent to solve the daily problems of work as they arise. This contrasts with workers who always go to someone else to solve problems. In side by side problem solving, both the leader and the contributor come up with solutions. This leaves open the feasibility of a contributor going to a leader to get help with a tough problem that the contributor is unable to solve alone.

Side by Side Leadership Practices and Corresponding Contributor Behaviors

Side by Side Leadership Practices	Leader Behaviors	Corresponding Contributor Behaviors
1. Two-Way Communication	The leader asks for the ideas of contributors. The leader listens to and thinks about the ideas. Listens nonjudgmentally. The leader shares his own ideas and thinking.	The contributor shares honest thinking. Because the leader showed respect and listened, the contributor listens to the leader.
2. Participative Decision-Making	The leader asks contributors to participate in making decisions that directly involve them and where they have facts and knowledge for choosing the best alternative.	The followers are committed to implementing the decisions successfully.
3. Cooperation and Coordination	The leader completes his or her action items that are required to move the contributor's work and projects forward. Does not allow their work to sit in the "in basket."	The contributors do their part to help their leader with their technical and management tasks.
4. Shared Goal Setting	The leader involves contributors in setting goals that support achieving organizational and customer priorities.	The contributors know, understand, and work to achieve the goals. They shift their discretionary time to work on the priorities.
5. Identifying and Solving Problems	Leader assumes a calm attitude of scientific discovery about the problem. Involves contributors in identifying all of the facts and influencing factors from relevant interaction fields. Promotes identifying creative solutions.	When potential problems are observed, the contributor solves them or informs others immediately. Contributors learn to use rational creative problem solving on their own versus blaming or triangling.