Are You A Resistor or Capacitor?
Part 1 - Resistors
Having a background in electrical and electronics engineering technology, I am quite familiar with resistors and capacitors in electrical and electronics circuits. Growing up in the 1980s I really liked, and still do, the hairbands of that decade. When I turned seventeen I bought a 1979 Camaro and wanted to build a loud stereo system so I enrolled in an electrical and electronics technology class at our local Vocational-Technology school as a junior.
As it worked out, my instructor made me learn about ohm’s law, the power triangle, series-parallel circuits, residential wiring, and etc. All of these concepts helped shape the direction of my career toward the path of electrical engineering technology.
In electrical circuits a resistor reduces the flow of current, reduces signal levels, divides voltages, and terminates transmission lines. Whereas a capacitor charges and discharges the circuit. When there is a potential difference an electrical field develops causing a positive charge to collect. A capacitor creates a constant value.
Three ways a resistor can sabotage your leadership.
1. By opposing the flow. When people oppose the flow of leadership it creates resistance in the organization. This is most evident when a leader is trying to change the direction of the organization or how a process works.
If the person opposing the change has significant influence with others, it is imperative you get this person moving in the same direction as you are. Sometimes all you need to do is include this person in the change process so they feel like they are part of initiating the change. But, sometimes this person will not change and they must be promoted to become a former employee.
The most important tools a leader has when implementing change is, continual on-going communication and listening. If you can nail these two, then more times than not you will be successful.
2. Reduces signal levels. When leaders don’t actively work on communicating the vision others fill the vacuum by distracting other employees with rumors. This is sometimes referred to as the grapevine.
Information on the grapevine moves more rapidly because some people are excited about hearing something before others. It’s easy for employees to fall in this trap when leaders withhold or are slow in communicating with their teams.
Research shows that grapevine communication is generally 80% accurate because it normally starts with someone seeing or hearing part of an actual conversation. That’s why it is imperative leaders intentionally communicate on a regular basis. When there is a vacuum in the communication process someone will work to fill it.
3. Divides voltages. Not only can a resistor divide the voltage in a circuit, a resistor can divide a team. There can only be one leader in charge at a time. When multiple people try to lead the team it can be disastrous.
One person could be working to move a team in one direction, while the other leader can be pulling them in a different direction. This creates friction, chaos, and disengaged employees.
A leader must work on developing a relationship with all team members, figure out what motivates each of them, help them set personal goals, and then set them on a path for success. If a leader can do that, a leadership divider won’t have a chance to exist.
Questions:
What can you do to prevent an opposition to the flow of leadership? How can you prevent grapevine communication? What happens to a team when there are two leaders? I would love to hear your responses on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.
Communication is always the key in all relationships. But what, how, and when to communicate isn't so clear and can cause problems.
It is kind of hard to answer the questions when you gave the answers! Communication is always the key and that applies with a lot of things including at home. Best way to squash grapevine is to keep people informed but sometimes information has to be kept between certain people until the right time but that is when the people making those decisions needs to have a tight lip and it should only be discussed privately. Two leaders in most cases will not work, would you have two head coaches on a football team? No, but does a head coach need help, yes. The leader shows faith and trust with the coordinators and shares his vision, gives them room to add to his vision. They have to buy into the leaders ideas but that is how you get them on board is by involvement. I hope this was helpful.