The type of leadership style you practice can make or break your team and affect your ability to achieve goals.
There are many effective leadership styles out there, but one I particularly love is a relational leadership style.
This style ensures that you achieve your goals with excellence while also looking out for your team, encouraging their continual development, and treating them well.
This positive leadership style is maximized by a powerful principle called the Domino Effect.
I watched this amazing movie called Collateral Beauty with the actor Will Smith. One amazing scene had an elaborate city of dominos set up in his office. The dominos were spread across multiple tables, and they were set up in different colors, shapes, and sizes.
Will Smith touched the end domino and a chain reaction began.
Officially, this is called the Domino Effect—a cumulative effect that is produced when one event initiates a succession of similar events.
I use this analogy as an entry point to talk about our willingness to change in our leadership style. When we change, the people in our sphere of influence change. And when they change, the people in their sphere of influence change.
This creates a domino effect, which continues as change in each person effects another.
I serve on the Board of a faith-based company called City Plan. City Plan works with regional leaders throughout the world to equip and support transformative works within regions.
We experienced an incredible example of this domino effect at a local middle school.
The school had been struggling with attendance and police involvement. Here are statistics from the school:
850 students attending
698 incidents last year
53 incidents reported to the police
Only 25% of students felt safe
A 69% graduation rate
A team began praying together every Monday for the school, teachers, and students. After five months the statistics showed:
Only two on-campus police reports (There would have been twenty-six reports by this time based on last year’s numbers.)
A 93% attendance rate
Two of the most difficult students were now school cheerleaders.
The willingness to bring change created a domino effect on the entire school. Attendance was up, police incidents fell dramatically, and the children had a safer place to go to school.
Incredible!
One of the first steps is recognizing you have a sphere of influence.
Your sphere includes:
- Your family
- Your work environment
This sphere is influenced by your behavior, decisions, and actions, whether good or bad.
Family Sphere
How do you want your family to grow under your leadership?
For me and my husband, we wanted our home to be a safe place for our children. We set boundaries to make it that way.
Having a safe place was important to me because growing up, my home was not safe. My father was bi-polar and an alcoholic. There were many times of great fun in our house, but it hinged on my dad.
My siblings and I were not allowed to talk freely, and neither was my mom. We walked on eggshells, making sure we did not say or do anything to incite my dad. If we did, we felt his wrath.
The sad part for him and our family was that he refused all help, even when the company he worked for offered to help him. They paid for his initial treatment and offered to cover any additional treatment he might need. In the end, he refused their assistance.
My parents divorced after twenty-three years of marriage because my dad’s disease was so severe. He alienated everyone in the family and spent the latter part of his life alone.
I wanted my children to have a different experience. During dinner, we had table talk. The kids could talk about whatever they wanted, and what they shared never left our house. They could feel safe and be heard.
My husband and I also rarely argued in front of our children. If there was a problem, we would talk about it together. Then we would talk with the kids.
Were we perfect parents? Absolutely not!
We did take classes on marriage and finances. We sought advice from others. At different points in our children’s teen years, we also sought professional counseling to help us work out some difficulties.
We were willing to listen and grow and develop a vision for our future. That willingness and vision changed their lives, impacting their sphere of influence.
What are some of your areas to grow in your leadership style that would have a domino effect on your spouse and children?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- What is your style of communication?
- Does your family have a safe zone to discuss struggles?
- Is each member in your family respected for their uniqueness?
This list is to grease the wheel and get you thinking. Talk to your family and see how each of you can grow. Then take a step toward making a change.
One of my favorite resources is Danny Silk’s book, Loving Our Kids on Purpose.
In that book, Danny writes:
When love and freedom replace punishment and fear as the motivating forces in the relationship between parent and child, the quality of life improves dramatically for all involved. They feel safe with each other, and the anxiety that created distance in the relationships is chased away by the sense of love, honor, and value for one another.
Want additional resources for using a positive leadership style to create a domino effect in your family? Click here to contact me.
Work Environment
How do you want to use your leadership style to influence others in your work environment?
In Leadership 101, John Maxwell says, “Real Leadership is being the person others will gladly and confidently follow.”
Not every leader has a title by their name. Sometimes it is your peers that have incredible ability, and you are happy to follow them.
When you carry that kind of peer influence, you have a willingness to change. When you experience change, you are excited to share the “how to” of that change with others, and the vision for why you do what you do.
This creates a domino effect for you, your team, and your company.
I worked for a company who believed in investing in their employees. At one point, they spent a year training us for the Malcolm Baldrige Award of Excellence. We learned how to take any area of the company and continuously improve it.
I was in Human Resources and my customers were the company’s employees. One key focus was taking care of them and their families.
I learned how to develop and identify best practices as well as the art of problem solving in both the process side of our company and the personnel side.
But the greatest lesson was working together as a team toward the common goal of excellence.
While this was going on, I was having a huge conflict with my boss.
She was very likable, but we had one contentious spot: the job I had was beneath her. She said she would never learn the job or help us because it would make her look weak to management.
Her attitude showed her insecurities, but at the time, I was young and did not see it. It just made me mad!
It all came to a head when the person I worked with went on maternity leave and a temp was brought in to help me.
As it turned out, the temp wanted my job. My boss started confiding in her. One day, I had enough.
I did not go to my boss to work it out, like I should have. Instead, I told the temp how I could do my boss’ job better.
I also told the temp that if they ever had to lay people off, my boss would be the one because I knew how to do her job, but she did not know how to do mine.
The insanity of my insults played right into the temp’s hands. She immediately went and told my boss!
Fortunately, my boss was gracious. I shared how I felt and gained a better understanding of her. We were able to resolve the issue.
What are some areas for you to grow in your leadership style at work that would produce a domino effect?
Here are few ideas to get you started:
- How well do you engage with others in your work environment?
- Do you invest in others success?
- Where do you need to grow that will create the domino effect?
Understanding where you need to grow will produce the results you desire and really knowing the people you work with is key to your success.
Understanding and developing a relational leadership style is key to creating a domino effect in your team.
Assess your leadership style by downloading my free eBook, Relational Leadership. Work through the four strategies it contains to understand your leadership style.
If you need some help processing through any of these elements, fill out the Connection Form and we will begin the conversation.
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Abundant Blessings, Cindy
Cindy Stewart has a passion for people and helping them connect to their life purpose, discover their passions, and live their dreams. Cindy’s latest book, God’s Dream for Your Life, brings clarity to your purpose while unlocking vision of what is possible in the natural and the supernatural. She is an itinerant speaker, an executive coach, and hosts a weekly podcast on Charisma Podcast Network. Along with her husband, Chuck, they lead The Gathering Apostolic Center in Tarpon Springs, FL.
Please email Cindy with any questions or comments to cindystewartauthor@gmail.com. She’d love to hear from you.
Remember, you are the best investment you can make.