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Have you ever considered how the people you surround yourself with inside and outside of work impact you as a leader? Let’s face it, the last couple of years have been difficult on a number of fronts, and social isolation doesn’t foster the best environment to build strong relationships. As the world continues to open back up it’s going to be imperative for leaders to nurture quality relationships, but with who?
As the relentless stack of day-to-day responsibilities add up, it can be easy to run through the motions and forget the value ongoing relationship building can offer you. The key, as it often is in life, is to be intentional with the relationships you are trying to build and sustain. I’m here today to offer you a new tool to help you reflect on your current relationships and guide you towards more meaningful ones in the future.
Catching Leadership Interaction Matrix
The Catching Leadership Interaction Matrix asks you to consider your relationships on two continuums: diversity and motivation to lead. When you think of diversity, think of the leadership skills, experiences, and ideas an individual has that may be similar or different from yours. Prioritizing individuals that are different from you will increase the amount of new knowledge you can share and learn. Secondly, you are better served to prioritize your time with those who have the motivation to lead rather than those who do not. If there is no motivation to lead, there is little you can do to help an individual become a better leader. Each person in your network will fall into one of the four boxes of the Catching Leadership Interaction Matrix. Take 10 minutes to complete this simple exercise. It only requires a pen, a piece of paper, and the desire to be a more effective leader.
Grab a piece of paper and draw the Catching Leadership Interaction Matrix shown below. Think of all the people (family excluded) that you spend time with in a given month (e.g. coworkers, friends, etc.). Place each of these individuals in one of the boxes in the matrix. There is no limit to the number of individuals you can place in each box; start with 10-15 relationships and feel free to add more if needed.
WHO ARE YOU WELCOMING ON BOARD YOUR BOAT?
Diverse Anglers – Diverse individuals who possess a great desire to lead. They possess unique skills, experiences, and ideas different from your own. They provide you with new perspectives and ideas that will challenge your own worldview. In return, you provide them the same, which enhances their own leadership journey.
Familiar Anglers - Individuals who are similar to you, yet also possess a great desire to lead. You will likely be able to build relationships with them quickly and help them fine-tune the skills you have in common. They will reinforce your perspective (for better or worse) but offer little insight into new ways of thinking.
Diverse Spectators - Diverse individuals who possess no desire to lead. They provide you with unique ideas and experiences but enter your boat without the intention to cast a line. What you learn from your interactions with them may help you relate to future anglers down the road, but interactions with this group should not be prioritized over anglers who are ready to cast their own lines.
Familiar Spectators - Individuals similar to you who have no desire to lead. These individuals won’t offer you much in terms of new knowledge or perspective. You will likely enjoy their company, and they yours, but instead of catching leadership on your boat, they are likely more interested in catching a buzz.
As I say in my book, Catching Leadership: The Art of Letting Go and Hooking into Leadership Through C.A.T.C.H. & Release®, “When it comes to prioritizing your leadership interactions, remember this fishing metaphor: when deciding who to take fishing on your boat, invite a partner who sincerely wants to fish and brings a unique tackle box to complement your own.” Good leaders want to attract anglers (motivated to lead) over spectators (not motivated to lead) and individuals who bring unique skills or experiences (diverse) over those who share the same skills or experiences as you (not diverse). If your goal is to continue your own development while developing other leaders, then you will greatly benefit prioritizing the interactions on your boat in this order:
Diverse Anglers
Familiar Anglers
Diverse Spectators
Familiar Spectators
Are there any individuals inside or outside of work you can identify right now that you should be spending more time with? Are there any individuals you should be spending less time with? What can you do today to diversify your leadership interactions in the future?
The beauty of this exercise is that it is simple and effective. The challenging part comes next. Fishing with someone who fishes a different style or technique is uncomfortable – but that is how good anglers are made! The same goes for leadership. You both become better leaders by pushing yourselves outside your comfort zones. If your goal is to relax and go fishing with your drinking buddy, you know who to call, but if your goal is to take your leadership to the next level, it’s time to Attract Diverse Anglers.
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Michael Leytem is a business owner, talent management consultant, and leadership coach. He authored the book Catching Leadership in 2020 and currently hosts leadership retreats across the country. For more information visit www.catchingleadership.com.
