OUTsight/ Acts of Leadership

Photo by Xu Duo at Unsplash.

Manila, 9 January 2022 — How acts of leadership can change lives around you.

Story

It happened four decades ago as a new cohort of students started first grade. One of the students, assigned by the teacher as a class leader, stood in front of the large class to get everyone’s attention before the teacher would start. Being among the quietest in the whole group, this was not easy. She was terrified.

At first, hardly anyone listened, and those in the back of the classroom didn’t even hear her voice. Yet, the teacher kept encouraging her to keep at it. Slowly, with daily practice, her confidence grew. Day by day, she learned to speak up louder as she found her voice. Eventually, even those in the back of the classroom heard her and paid attention. Having the trust of the teacher helped to make this happen.

This story is about Maya Hu-Chan, an author and leadership coach who grew up in Taiwan. In her own words, she credits the teacher for believing in her. “Mrs. Liu was always encouraging,” she remembers. And what about the teacher’s choice to make her a class leader so early? “That one decision from Mrs. Liu had a profound influence on my life,” she reflected as she explained how the smallest Acts of Leadership can be very important.

Challenge

In her article in Inc., our story hero Maya Hu-Chan describes her experience with her first-grade teacher as an example of the Butterfly Effect. This concept comes from the early days of computing in the 1960s when Edward Lorenz, a meteorologist, observed that in chaotic systems like the weather, a small change in the initial conditions could have a big, and unpredictable, impact later on. The lesson here is that Mrs. Liu, at the time she appointed Maya as a class leader, could not possibly have predicted the impact her seemingly small action would have. The impact turned out to be huge.

From my experience as a coach, however, I see Mrs. Liu’s Act of Leadership more as an example of her showing up as a Multiplier in her workplace, the classroom. One of my favorite leadership books explains how that works. In Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, Liz Wiseman distinguishes how people can show up as a Multiplier or a Diminisher in their workplace. It’s a powerful distinction that can help us to make better choices at work, every day. In turn, these choices will advance our inclusive leadership. I have seen that happen many times. Multipliers grow leaders around them, and Mrs. Liu showed up as a Multiplier.

Another key point shared by our story hero is about the difference between what goes on between our ears and what we do — our acts — to influence other people. While values and mindset are keys to our own leadership, we are reminded that our behaviors and actions in the workplace matter most to others. As a leader, we make positive changes possible when we practice Acts of Leadership, as Mrs. Liu did with her students. 

Question

Inspired by our story about the teacher and her quiet first-grader many decades ago, my question to you is what Acts of Leadership you are taking in your workplace to show up as an inclusive leader, a Multiplier?

Like Mrs. Liu, you may not know right away what the outcome of your actions will be. However, as the growing body of knowledge and research into leadership suggests, you may become more influential than what you believe to be possible right now. And that’s what growing your leadership, and leaders around you, is all about.

To become a leader who consistently shows up with Acts of Leadership may well require a transition from where you are today. If you are ready to give your leadership a big boost, then book a free strategy call to let me know what changes you want to make in your workplace, and in yourself.