So, you are a leader in a matrix organization. Perhaps you are the Line Manager to whom a Team Member reports directly, although you rarely see each other.

One of the challenges senior leaders face is that for the first time in their career they may find themselves on multiple teams. For example, they lead their own team of managers who run the function of an organization such as Sales or Engineering. And, they may also belong to a leadership team comprised of fellow hard-charging peers from other functions of the organization that report up to a General Manager or CEO.

In my last post, I introduced the idea that developing  a deep level of interpersonal agility is critical to being successful as a senior leader. That's partially because as senior leaders rise to higher levels in their organization, they are less likely to hear the truth.

As leaders rise to higher levels within an organization, they are required to navigate increasingly complex and chaotic situations. There are hand-offs and trade-offs with stakeholders and constituents. There are executive leaders to please and junior leaders to lead. Fellow peers with competing agendas from other functions such as Sales, Engineering, and Finance, vie for the same set of limited resources. And, decisions become more and more consequential to the organization. 

Sal Silvester, Executive Team Consultant & Leadership Coach with 5.12 Solutions Consulting Group, will present his keynote speech Ignite!  The 4 Essential Rules For Emerging Leaders on June 17 at the 2013 Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference & Expo at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.  The keynote is based on his book of the same title and offers the essentials for generating team member commitment, igniting the potential of people and avoiding the pitfalls and mistakes new leaders often make.

Have you ever noticed the differences that people bring into the workplace? 

Different communication styles, preferences and priorities. Different goals, agendas, and ambitions. Different backgrounds, experiences, and ways of thinking. These differences represent latent potential. They represent opportunity, innovation, and outside-the-box thinking. These differences bring perspective. 

Have you ever wondered why your leadership team struggles so much? Why there is unexplained tension and unspoken expectations? 

Leadership Teams are straddled with unique challenges that other teams don't normally face. For example, most members of a Leadership Team often "own" a function of the organization (e.g., Marketing, Engineering, Sales), are rewarded based on the success of that function, and then asked to be part of a team of peers who battle for the same set of resources.

In last week's Ignite Leadership Launch training workshop here in Colorado, a curious participant asked, "How do I deal with an employee who isn't changing even after I give her feedback?" An insightful response came from another participant that I thought would be helpful to share. Here's a summary of what she had to say…

Ignite Leadership Launch is a two-hour Leadership Training seminar that will ignite your potential as a leader, and the potential of the people around you.  Whether you’re a future, emerging, transitioning or senior leader, you’ll gain insight and practical skills to elevate your effectiveness in the workplace.   Led by author, speaker and consultant Sal Silvester, this seminar is now offered to individuals and is based on his popular book Ignite!  The 4 Essential Rules for Emerging Leaders.