Episode 11 - Why do some of us thrive in the driver's seat?

The dynamics between leadership, independence and collaboration are complex. Fiona Brookwell and Michael Jones are unpicking the impact and likely causes, and ponder on: 

• Why are some people driven to work for themselves? 
• Why do some individuals thrive in the driver's seat? 
• How does self-belief fuel ambition? 
• A need for collaboration or independence - why is that and what does it mean? 
• What is the impact on the people around you? 
• Do you give your employee the freedom they need? 
• Where does self-awareness fit in? 

Whether you’re someone who prefers to work independently or thrives on collaboration, this conversation will give you valuable insights into the 'why'. 

At RPX2 Ltd, we are committed to helping individuals and organisations unlock their full potential.

Why no check out our other bite-sized conversations on what makes people tick?

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Transcript

Neale James: Here's what's on today's edition of Realising Potential with Fiona Brookwell and Michael Jones.  

Fiona Brookwell: The more that I could get to a senior position where I was the boss and I was in charge of the team or the department or the division, that's when I was happiest.  

Michael Jones: So, if that need is not met, you know, that tends to take people into quite dark places. 

Fiona Brookwell: Self-belief, it's those that have raw inner self belief, which if it's really, really strong, others would view as ego.  

Michael Jones: But it just allows you to think there is a different way of achieving that objective. So, I could go head-to-head with you, and I could fall out with you. Or I could stop, and I could listen, and I could ask, and we could find some common ground. 

Fiona Brookwell: So, you can get assertive individuals to work together. But they have to be involved in actually creating what that common goal and purpose is.  

Neale James: Freedom and independence. Some people enjoy working for themselves. Some people can only work for themselves. What are your feelings about that?  

Fiona Brookwell: You mean like me? So, you mean somebody that classes themselves as needing to work for themselves? It's an interesting question.  

When I was 17 years of age, I knew that I would end up working for myself. I had no idea what that looked like and how I was going to achieve that. I thought I might run a coffee shop or, you know, run a restaurant or a bar or a small hotel, or… I initially started in hotel and catering management. 

The question is, why did I know I would end up working for myself? It’s because within my own makeup, I don't particularly like being told what to do by others.  

I certainly don't like being told how to do it. And I absolutely don't like being told when to do it. So, when you have that as part of your makeup, there is really only so long that you can often work in corporate life. 

And don't get me wrong, I, you know, I had a perfectly successful career in corporate life for over 20 years working within organisations, but the more that I could get to a senior position where I was the boss, and I was in charge of the team or the department or the division, that's when I was happiest. 

So, when I then did take the step to work for myself, I think after two or three years of working for myself, in my head, I officially classed myself as unemployable. And not because technically, I wasn't qualified to work in a corporate organisation. I very much was. But I simply had zero desire to go back into having to be controlled by others as such. 

Neale James: I would imagine, Michael, that many people, um, can end up working in occupations that, uh, are environmentally or professionally not fulfilling or even appropriate? 

Michael Jones: I think that that's true. Because if you can imagine somebody like Fiona, you know, working in an environment where they did need to report to somebody else and give account to themselves and do as they were told, invariably, that leads people into quite dark places if they try to do that for too long. 

And it's another example of where you find somebody in a role where they're not able to exercise their particular superpower. Because, you know, that is one of the owner's superpowers, you know, to some extent, it's fine to… That need to be in charge that need to be in control and that need to take responsibility and to influence shape and direction of where we're going. 

So, if that need is not met, you know, that tends to take people into quite dark places because they similarly are not designed to do that. But that in itself, for people who are built that way, is a different kind of superpower, because, you know, and they tend to be perhaps nicer people than either of us, because they tend to think not about me and what's important to me, they tend to think about what's important to us.  

And they tend to be more collaborative and consultative, you know, and that's not to say that people who are built like that can't also sit in the driving seat, but it will be something else that takes them there. And it's possibly because they're very skilled, they're very competent, they're very knowledgeable, they're very experienced, and their competence is what gives them confidence. 

Whereas for somebody like me and Fiona, there's a natural confidence that suggests I can do that, even if I possibly don't know if I can, but I'll work it out when I get there.  

Fiona Brookwell: Self-belief, it's those that have raw inner self belief, which if it's really, really strong, others would view as ego.   

You know, and quite simply, they, you know, they're full of themselves, they're full of their own ego, when it gets quite extreme, But, uh, those with a natural desire often to be the one in the driving seat, often it's because they have raw inner self-belief. I have belief in my own views, my own ideas, my own initiatives, and my own opinions. 

It doesn't necessarily mean to say they're correct, but they often believe they're correct and they can impact on, on others. And so I, I do often say, if you're going to hire people of this nature into your organisations, make sure that they're, they're bright enough to do the job that you need them to do, and make sure they've got good morals and values because people with big egos without good morals and values and, and without being smart enough to do the job you want them to do can be quite dangerous in your organisations. 

Whereas intelligent, you know, solid values individuals who have a need to take charge and take control are often natural leaders within organisations, but they, they are the ones that don't like to be told, they are the ones that do like to do.  But then, as Michael said, that doesn't mean to say that people who are naturally more collaborative can't take charge and take control, but they'll often do it in a more consensus-driven fashion. 

So, they do it through, as Michael mentioned, the us-we our agenda, rather than the I, me, my agenda. So, you know, you might find that, uh, you know, uh, somebody that's put in a captain position of a team, for example, it's not necessarily because they're the dominant one that's going to tell people what to do, but often because they're skilled in the sport itself. 

And they have a way of getting people to work with them and work through them. And, and they don't just put it on to others, but they, they're happy to get their hands dirty and be part of the mix. So, there's often a difference between those that you might class as a team captain and those that you would class as a team leader. 

So that might lead to the question, therefore, if you are the one that likes to be in the driving seat, does that mean that you can't collaborate with other people? And the answer to that is ‘no, of course not’. Of course, you know, people who are natural leaders can collaborate, but to be able to do that, in our experience, they have to have a common goal and purpose. 

They have to have a common agenda that they're aiming for, with mutual rewards and with an agreed way of working - so, their rules of engagement, their modus operandi, for example. So you can get assertive individuals to work together, but they have to be involved in actually creating what that common goal and purpose is. 

You can't say to a bunch of leaders: ‘Here's your objective. Go for it!” But what you can say to a bunch of natural leaders is: “Here's the situation. What are you going to do about it? How are you going to fix it? How are you going to address this?”  

And then they create what the agenda is going to look like, and then they say: “Right, so what we need to do is… Here's the result that we want, are we on a great fight? What's your thoughts? What's your thoughts? What's your thoughts?” 

Pull it together, come up with an agenda with mutual benefits and rewards for achieving that. So they have to recognise that it's going to be more effective and they'll get to the reward quicker by collaborating than by operating in silo. 

Because natural leaders often want to operate in silo.  

Michael Jones: And I think a lot of it comes down to self-awareness, doesn't it? And we talk a lot about this when we're working with clients, is that if you are somebody who is not naturally designed to collaborate, then if you know that you have the choice then, about whether to go with the way that you're built or to realise that's not an effective way of achieving the objective. 

So, you have the, the opportunity to moderate your behaviour, to, to act differently. But it just allows you to think there is a different way of achieving that objective. So, I could go head-to-head with you, and I could fall out with you. Or I could stop, and I could listen, and I could ask, and we could find some common ground. 

And in that sense, I'm still being true to myself, but there's a more effective way of, of actually achieving the, the ultimate goal than telling people what to do.  

Neale James: Realising Potential with Fiona Brookwell and Michael Jones.  For more information about our services and organisation visit www.rpx2.com