Week 18: Eagle Source
Will You Cross the Line?
One of the most powerful communication methods is gaining the ability to “cross the line” in our relationships. The line that we are referring to separates people-driven personalities from task-driven personalities. Understanding how to navigate moving above and below the line will take hard work and intentionality. The results will be well worth the effort. Our relationships become purposeful and our tasks achievable when we use this method of leading others.
Take a look above and the below line. Above the line focuses on creating alignment with those we lead. It is where we use our people skills to create understanding and clarity. Below the line is where our leadership focuses on the accomplishment of tasks. This is where we develop our systems and processes for measuring results including accountability. In order to lead others effectively, we must understand how to navigate above and below the line. When we become skilled in developing people above the line, our productivity of accomplishing tasks increases below the line.
Crossing the Line
An important part of leading is learning to have successful communication that enhances both personal and professional relationships. “Crossing the line” takes being intentional. It begins with learning the personality language of those around us. This means choosing to invest in others with our time, energy, and effort. There are many ways to “cross the line.”
During your Eagle Team time, you and your peers will share ideas about how we can cross the line in order to increase the effectiveness of our communication. Consider how we can communicate effectively with the people we lead with different personalities. Some are comfortable with above the line language while others are comfortable with below the line task-driven communication. It is true that communication is the key to successful relationships. Keep in mind that communication incorporates verbal and nonverbal cues, emotions, context, and more.
Utilize Blinking
Learning to effectively communicate with others means developing an important set of skills. One such skill is called “Blinking” (taken from Malcom Gladwell’s book entitled the same). This is the ability to quickly assess a person’s personality traits literally in the moment. It is learning to make an assumption based on data that you are gathering as you engage in a conversation with the person. This helps you to know if you should be communicating above or below the line.
For instance, generally Much Loved Monkeys and Tranquil Turtles give and receive communication above the line. Leading Lions and Competent Camels are comfortable with task-driven communication below the line. The secret to successfully leading others is the willingness to communicate both above or below the line. Those who learn to lead out of their comfort zone experience much greater success in their relationships.
Leadership Questions
Daring to cross the line takes courage and humility. Choosing to speak the personality language of others is hard work. However, the reward will yield improved relationships with those around you. As you think about “crossing the line” in your relationships, take a few minutes to consider the following questions:
Are you more comfortable communicating above or below the line. Why?
What does it look like to venture into areas that are out of your comfort zone?
Feel free to refer back to the DNA continuum in the Make A Difference book for more clarity on this topic.
Higher Flight
In this month’s Higher Flight you will have the opportunity to go deeper in this month's content through the following resources:
1. Watch and read the synopsis of the following Ted Talk entitled:
2. Watch the "How to Lead" videos below as Dr. Larry Little guides you on how to validate and communicate each personality type.Remember to use your Eagle Teams Digital Notebook to document your thoughts and insights.
