It’s not the seat at the table, it’s what you do with it

I was presenting to a senior leadership group on one occasion and they were not responding to the topic.

When one member of the team who had been silent, spoke up to support my call for action everyone listened. Once he recommended they get behind the proposal, the others supported it.

You often hear leaders say they need a seat at the main leadership table, but if you win that seat, you need to know what to do with it.

I am sure you have seen it happen. Some people speak and everyone around the table listens. I am sure you have also experienced the opposite where people speak and no-one listens.

How do you build the influence that wins you a seat at the table?

The key is authenticity.

Bill George in his book, Authentic Leadership says, “Authentic leaders… lead with purpose, meaning and values. They build enduring relationships with people. Others follow them because they know where they stand.”

One way to capture where you stand and build your influence is to enshrine your values in a personal charter. It can help give you clarity about what’s important to you.

Here are some questions to consider for your personal charter.
✳️ What do I stand for?
✳️ What can I be counted on for?
✳️ What values are important to me?

Writing a charter and making it visible for yourself is not the end of the story. You need to put it into practice. It is easy to forget your values and what you stand for when times are stressful.

But a personal charter can remind you who you are, so you warrant a seat at the table.

🙋 What values are important to you? 🙋‍♀️

Best regards, Brian

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