How To Influence Your Leadership

I think you said it - If I want to create a culture within my team - I have to MODEL it first .......If I am gossiping - then they will gossip. If I am negative - they will be. If I am wanting to create a positive culture - or a serving culture - then I have to BE positive and SERVE!

You can continue to encourage and support leadership where you can. When asked what your ideas are in other areas, don't be shy. They may not (and probably will not) like what you have to say, but deep down in their heart of hearts, they know you are honestly giving them your best and feedback they need to hear. I promise you, if they do not listen and implement, you will not last long because the war in your soul to work for people who do not have the same values and principals along with work ethic eats you alive. It did for me anyway. When the day came that my services were over for them, I was ready to move on because I knew God had prepared me to make the next step.

Pitching in with our information of substantiation at the right time. When are able to put forth the pros and postivies stemming from the action, we can sell our ideas. It could work in our way.

You are definitely right in telling him to live what you confess. In our culture that is hard to come by these days. We know what to do but the cost of doing it often outweighs our will to perform it. It takes discipline on our part to be an example to those around us.

Maybe this sounds weird, but.....I look at my objective as if I'm bringing a case to court. I'm not saying I argue. I get "evidence" and I look at it from every angle, for loop-holes, for an answer to every possible question before presenting. In other words, I try to be prepared ;)

Before my current job I lead a team. I love being in leadership positions, but you can lead from any position. Leadership transcends job descriptions. I agree with your approach, Chris, and have followed it in influencing my leader. For instance, I tout the importance of team members understanding one another. I talk about personality style indicators like DISC, have shared info and regularly apply it openly with the team and my leader. Well, she recently cleared me to pursue having not just our branch take the DISC but every division! That exceeded my expectations. Fortunately there are other examples, too. I'm thankful to have her as a boss because its important to me to have a solid relationship with my leader.