Page 258 - Fearless Leadership

Aligning Emotionally and Intellectually 245

reports, coworkers, the next level up, and stakeholders. The
easiest way to assess where alignment is missing is to ask,
“Where am I frustrated, tolerating people or situations, withhold-
ing commitment, or lacking passion and enthusiasm?”
If you waffle in answering the question “Am I emotionally
and intellectually aligned?” then your answer is no. The
absence of a clear and resounding, “Yes, I am fully aligned”
informs you that something is missing or preventing you
from giving your all.
Not being aligned at Level 5 does not mean you are not
committed or engaged. Quite the contrary: chances are that
you have a frustrated commitment or an unmet expectation
that requires further exploration with the appropriate person.
2. What stops you from being fully aligned? Explore what
prevents you from emotionally and intellectually committing.
Often the lack of alignment can be traced to not feeling lis-
tened to or understood, or not making a clear and direct request
to the appropriate person. Start by identifying where you feel
that your commitment has been thwarted. Allow room for the
likely possibility that you may be sabotaging yourself; focus on
your behavior and what you can do to alter the situation.
A reminder about requests: many times we fail to make
requests because we think we will not receive a positive
response. Set aside your resignation and play big: identify the
request you want to make and do not skimp on what you
need to communicate. Breakthroughs are produced by taking
bold stands and making clear and direct requests, and then
committing to action.

LEADERSHIP ACTION
Discover What Blocks Your Team from Aligning—
Emotionally and Intellectually
With your team, identify critical areas in which group members are not
aligned. Use the five levels of alignment and dialogue to discover what is
preventing Level 5 alignment by asking: