Welcome to the twentieth issue of CEE News!
Last week, my team had the privilege of facilitating a leadership retreat for a public agency in San Diego. The CEO kicked off the morning with a kind welcome introduction. She also shared some advice about a technique she uses when making decisions. She called it being “others focused,” and here is her 3-part test:
1 – Who else needs to know about this?
2 – Who else will be impacted by this?
3 – How can we involve them?
She’s right. In a study published in the August 2014 issue of Social Psychological and Personality Science, power is a psychological accelerator.
Power alone, the study suggests, can lead to selfish, egocentric decisions. Using a car driving metaphor, the study finds that “when you anchor too heavily onto your own perspective, and don’t take into account the viewpoints of others, you’re bound to crash.”
Today’s leaders are faced with making dozens of decisions every day. It’s tempting to assume that we have enough information or experience to decide quickly. But, pausing to put your decisions through an “others-focused” test can help you steer effectively.
Join us on April 27th at the Re:Imagine Leadership Summit in San Diego to hear from other amazing leaders. The Summit is just three weeks away, and promises to be a day filled with inspiration and insight you can use along your own leadership journey.
I hope to see you there!