WHY VULNERABLE LEADERS HAVE MORE INFLUENCE - AND WHY THAT MATTERS

No matter how good the technology is and will become, contact centers will always be about the success of people. And while creating an environment of successful people has many factors, in many cases, success comes down to one thing – leadership.

I am not talking about the leadership that is offered by the CEO or Vice President (although their impact is important); instead, I am talking about the leadership at the front lines. In my opinion, there is not any place in the organization where leadership depends more on the relationships between two people – the leader and their direct reports.

In some cases, leadership skills are a gift of nature – some people are born with the attributes of leaders. In most cases, however, it is taught and mentored by a parent, sibling, or relative - or a direct result of an investment by a teacher or business mentor. In any case, it is a skill that must be developed and nurtured through constant learning and feedback from other leaders.

John Maxwell says, “Leadership is influence… nothing more, nothing less.” He often speaks and writes about two key elements of influence – trust and vulnerability. People can only be influenced by other people if they know that the person has their needs and their success as a focus. And isn’t that the definition of trust?

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