Lead anybody! (even if you can't boss them around)

On Leadership…

Leading people is tricky. It’s difficult to get a person or group of people to march up that hill or build something new. It’s even more difficult when you are not the boss. The boss has power. She has clout. She has authority. But what do you do when you don’t have authority but you have to lead anyway?

Enter the concept of leading without authority.

In a nutshell, leading without authority refers to the ability to influence and guide others towards a common goal without having formal power over them.

When might this happen?

1. Cross-functional Teams: Project or program managers typically are in charge of projects, not people. Often, this involves working with members from various departments or specialties where no single person has direct authority over all participants. Leadership must be based on expertise, negotiation, and consensus-building.

2. Flat Organizations: Companies with a flat hierarchy emphasize fewer levels of management. Here, leadership is more about mentorship and influence rather than direct control.

3. Volunteer Organizations: In these groups, stakeholders are motivated by passion rather than compensation. Influence in these cases comes from shared values and vision.

4. Professional Networks: Similar to cross-functional teams, you may find yourself leading initiatives within professional networks or industry associations. Here, your ability to influence is not tied to a job title but to your reputation, knowledge, and networking skills.

How do you do this?

1. Build Relationships: Establish trust and respect with team members through consistent, honest communication and by showing genuine interest in their well-being and success.

2. Demonstrate Expertise: Share your knowledge and skills generously. Being recognized as a valuable resource increases your influence.

3. Listen and Learn: Show humility by being open to others' ideas and feedback. This fosters a collaborative atmosphere where leadership is welcomed.

4. Empower Others: Encourage autonomy and recognize the contributions of team members. Empowering others to take ownership of tasks or projects boosts morale and commitment.

5. Communicate Vision and Enthusiasm: Articulate a clear and compelling vision for what you are trying to achieve. Enthusiasm is contagious and can motivate others to follow your lead.

6. Lead by Example: Model the behavior you wish to see in others. Consistency between what you say and what you do reinforces your credibility.

7. Leverage Influence: Use your network and relationships to build alliances and garner support for your initiatives. Persuasion and negotiation are key tools.

By focusing on these strategies, you can effectively lead without formal authority, influencing others through your actions, expertise, and interpersonal skills rather than through directives or mandates.

On Technology…

Oh, the Archive option. This is one of my favorite features of Gmail. But for years, I lived in fear of this button. What if I accidentally archive something? Where does it go? How will I ever get it back? Why is such a powerfully destructive option so prominently displayed?

It turns out, the archive feature simply removes emails from the inbox without deleting them. That’s it.

People reading this right now likely have one of two reactions:

1. Well, duh. Of course, that's what it does. What's wrong with you?

2. My god! That's super handy, and to think I've lived in fear all this time.

If you fall into the second camp, welcome, dear friend. Archiving is the best! It's such a powerful tool for email management, particularly for those of us who receive a ton of emails daily and want to keep our inboxes focused on what's currently relevant. But just to add more, why might you use this?

• Reduce Inbox Clutter: Archiving is useful for managing and reducing inbox clutter without losing emails.

• Preserve Important Emails: Consider archiving emails that contain important information you want to keep but don't need immediate access to.

• Focus on Current Tasks: By archiving emails that are no longer immediately relevant, you can focus on emails that require your current attention.

• Organize Emails Without Deleting: Archiving offers a way to organize emails without the finality of deletion. You can still access these emails later if needed.

Alright, now to level up your inbox game. Turn on shortcuts. Gmail has a ton of shortcuts, and it can be overwhelming, but Cmd + E is the one I use the most. If you have an email selected or happen to be done reading one, Cmd + E will archive it for you. But first, you have to turn on shortcuts. Here’s how:

How to Turn On Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Click the gear in the top-right corner of Gmail and select 'See all settings.'

2. Under the 'General' tab, find the 'Keyboard shortcuts' section and select 'Keyboard shortcuts on.'

3. Click 'Save Changes' at the bottom of the page.

4. Celebrate.

The above quote from Crime and Punishment captures exactly how I feel about my inbox. Just as cramped spaces can constrain our physical and mental well-being, a cluttered inbox can similarly restrict our mental space and productivity.

It may require some effort to retrain your brain, but begin to archive without prejudice. Your mind and soul will thank you.

On Productivity…

As promised, it’s time to delve into the Pareto Principle.

The Pareto Principle (aka the 80/20 rule) is and idea that 80% of outcomes are caused by 20% of causes. It's named after Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist who noticed that about 80% of Italy's land was owned by 20% of the population.

Imagine you have a list of 10 tasks to do. According to the Pareto Principle, just 2 of those tasks (which is 20% of your list — #maths) will likely yield about 80% of the most significant results or benefits. So, if you focus on completing those 2 tasks first, you're using your time and effort where it counts the most.

Pair this with the guiding question from the book The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan:

This question encourages a laser focus on the most impactful activity, which is really what we are talking about here. Both concepts emphasize the importance of identifying and focusing on the most impactful actions to achieve maximum effectiveness. In some cases, everything else might just be noise.

On Gratitude…

My wife and I are blessed with two wonderful children, both now adults. Our son celebrated his 20th birthday last week, and our daughter turned 18 today. While some might suggest our parenting duties are nearly complete, the reality is that parenting never truly ends; it simply transforms. From infancy, through the toddler years, into adolescence, and into adulthood, our children are constantly evolving. As parents, we adapt alongside them. Today, I'm profoundly thankful for the journey we've shared as a family. The adventure continues, though we may now find ourselves more in the passenger seat than behind the wheel. Regardless, it remains an incredible journey and I can’t wait to see where we go from there.