Page 252 - Fearless Leadership
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Aligning Emotionally and Intellectually 239
the group or leader. You can identify complying behavior by the flatness
of energy in the room. People do not pay attention or listen to one another,
and there is a feeling of sluggishness or even boredom, as the group deals
with agenda items.
Shawn was tired of listening to the same few people talk. All he wanted
was for the meeting to end so he could get back to work. But a commit-
ted partner asked him, “What’s going on for you? Where are you at with
regard to the levels of alignment?” The specific nature of the question and
the fact that a scale is provided makes it easy for people to articulate their
response. Shawn replied, “I suppose I’m complying and resigned at the
same time. That puts me at Level 1 and Level 3. Only a few people are
talking and I don’t feel that my input is valued by others.”
When an individual is asked to talk about his or her level of alignment,
it often opens up a new way of thinking for everyone. The group talked
about what Shawn said and how a handful of people were dominating the
meeting. This new awareness coupled with a commitment to high per-
formance resulted in a positive change in group behavior. The vocal par-
ticipants took accountability for their impact and made room for others
to contribute. The dynamic of the meeting changed and the group was
able to reach a decision in which they had full support.
Complying behavior is a form of resignation. The signs include these:
• Disengaging from the conversation
• Superficially engaging in the conversation and going along
with the group
• Being politically correct and noncommittal and letting the
group take accountability for the decision
• Demonstrating restlessness or disinterest
• Pushing for closure in order to move on to another topic or
bring the meeting to a close
Level 4: Intellectually Committed. Most groups mistake Level 4 align-
ment for being fully aligned. It is not. Intellectual alignment works fine
until something happens and circumstances change. It is only then that
group members recognize that they were only intellectually committed and
not emotionally aligned. Intellectual commitment is a positive sign and
indicates that the group is moving toward full alignment; however, it is
insufficient for sustainable alignment. When something happens to test