Julie Diamond

Gandalf was right to choose Frodo. He knew that if he slipped on that ring of power himself, he'd most likely fall into the trap of power.

In fact, it's all too easy to fall into one of the traps of power, undermining our effectiveness despite our best intentions.

Here are five of the most common traps of power that leaders should be aware of:

Using power before you earn it: This is a trap that many new leaders fall into. They may feel like they have to assert their authority right away, even if they don't have the experience or trust of their team members to back it up. This can lead to resentment and distrust, and it can make it difficult for the leader to build a successful team.

Sidestepping authority: This is another trap that can be easy for leaders to fall into. They want to be equals, and don't want to offend or come across as superior. However, sidestepping authority can undermine the leader's credibility and make it difficult to get things done.

Buying your own pitch: This is a trap that can befall even the most experienced leaders. It's when the leader starts to believe their own hype and becomes convinced that they are infallible. This can lead to arrogance and poor decision-making.

Satisfying self-interest: This is a trap that can be especially tempting for leaders who have worked their way up through the ranks. They may feel like they deserve to take advantage of their position, or they may be more interested in their own advancement than in the success of the organization. This can lead to unethical behavior and a loss of trust in the team.

Not holding yourself accountable: Perhaps the most important trap to avoid, leaders need to be willing to hold themselves accountable for their own actions, both good and bad. This means admitting when they make mistakes and taking steps to correct them. It also means being willing to listen to feedback from others and being open to change.

To read more about each of these traps of power and how to prevent them from tripping you up, check out my blog post here: https://buff.ly/3tPBGsB

Every time we express an opinion, or voice our dissent in a meeting, there's a social cost.

For women and underrepresented minorities, that price is especially high. Yet it's vital for good decision-making that everyone has a voice.

While it takes time to build the trust needed for honest and robust debates, there are surprisingly small and simple things you can do as a leader to create more safety and trust and reduce the cost of speaking up.

1. Watch your nonverbal communication. It’s not what you say, but what you do. People in lower ranks are especially tuned into your non-verbal cues. So be sure to listen actively, make eye contact, and avoid looking distracted.

2. Be an active listener. Just because you’re hearing what the other says doesn’t tell the other person that you’re listening. Ask questions, nod, and make eye contact. Make it a habit to say, “I appreciate the perspective,” or, “Thank you, that’s helpful.”

3. Invite others to speak. Make it a practice to notice who has and who hasn’t spoken in meetings. Invite those who haven’t spoken to share their ideas. This doesn’t mean putting people on the spot — it’s not meant to challenge them to speak but to make sure you and others aren’t missing anything important.

4. Seek out other points of view — Ask, ""What am I missing?"" Remember, you need others to speak up because you really may be missing key information. The less often others speak around you, the likelier you and others are to believe in a false sense that the leader’s ideas are the best ideas.

Wielding power effectively is about understanding the dynamic context and consequences of your actions. Truly powerful leaders make it easy for those around them to speak up—and be heard!"

https://buff.ly/421u8yi

5 Ways to Help Others Speak Up - Diamond Leadership Certified User Portal When voices are silenced, valuable information is lost. Effective leaders know there’s no single source of authority. Learn how to help others speak up.

It's an election year.

Which means disappointment for many: disappointment in who's running for office, disappointment in the results, and even if 'your candidate' wins, I bet two years from now you'll be disappointed in the lack of followthrough on promises made by your candidate of choice.

There's evidence to support this too -- according to Pew Research, public trust in elected officials is at SIXTEEN percent.

Why is this? How did we end up here?

For starters, those most drawn to power are least likely to use it well. People scoring higher on the “dark triad of personality traits” of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy are more attracted to leadership roles than the average person.

While that's depressing, what's worse, though, is that we humans routinely fall under their spell. We invariably fall for swagger even when there's nothing behind it:

- We routinely confuse confidence with competence and promote the wrong people, follow the wrong person, and elect the wrong leaders.

- We mistakenly applaud rudeness as courage and bullying as strength.

- We’re dazzled by impressions and status more than substance, which is why we fall for narcissists and are taken in by con artists.

- We’re swayed by charisma and hire and promote based on what we think looks like success rather than what is actually successful. It’s why we fall for Ponzi schemes and shady deals, which is why investors sunk millions into Theranos and FTX, forgoing their due diligence.

This isn’t something we can change very quickly. But, there are three things to look for the next time someone crows about their accomplishments, announces their candidacy, or looks for investors. Look for:

• Character over charisma. Charisma is the ability to charm and dazzle, but it fizzles out if it’s not based on anything substantial. Charisma may open the door, but over time, people will see through it. Character, on the other hand, goes the distance. Character is the inner strength to be accountable for your actions, to see your failings and mistakes as opportunities to learn, and to care for and respect others.

• Competence over confidence. Look behind the confidence to see if it’s actually backed up by ability and performance. One key way to find out if someone is truly competent and not just confident is to look at the people around them. Competent people surround themselves with smart people, elevate those around them, and build great teams.

• Context and culture. If someone is successful in one context, there is no guarantee they’ll be so in another context. Once the context changes—a new boss, a new team, a new strategy, and a new organizational culture—performance can plummet. If someone’s confidence is based on their past performance in one context, it’s still an open question whether they can maintain their success once the support structures they’ve been used to are taken away.

Confidence has its place—in life and in the workplace. And there are times when we need it.

But we need to view swagger through a discerning lens. Otherwise, we may mistake empty bluster for competent leadership—with dire consequences.

Read online and share your own thoughts here: https://buff.ly/3uRzCgw

Where do you rank? When it comes to power, relative rank gives absolute rank a run for its money. Here's why.