Empowering Leaders to Manage Without Power

In today's episode Judith Germain speaks to Joris Merks-Benjaminsen about leadership consistency and ethical actions. They discuss the challenge of ensuring leadership consistency across an organisation, not just at the top. They note how organisational culture and values can drift over time if not actively maintained. Joris explains how leaders can inadvertently create inconsistencies through their behaviours and decision-making processes.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership consistency requires balancing opposing forces (e.g. empathy vs accountability) while under constant pressure
• Small, conscious leadership behaviors have magnified impact on organisational culture
• Effective leaders must actively cultivate psychological safety and open communication with their teams
• "Managing without power" mindset helps leaders tune into team needs and reduce unintended pressures

In this conversation Judith and Joris explore the idea of personalising leadership to the needs of individual team members. They emphasise the importance of creating psychological safety, encouraging feedback, and being conscious of how one's position of power can impact others. Joris suggests the "managing without power" mindset as a way to stay grounded.

Joris Merks-Benjaminsen is an award winning author. His latest book is titled 'Managing without power'. Joris had a leading role in Google's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives, and was one of the highest scoring managers in the company's history.

You can find out more about our guest and today's episode in this Maverick Paradox Magazine article here.

---

Maverick leadership is all about thinking outside the box and challenging the status quo. It's about having the courage to take risks and the confidence to lead in a way that is authentic and genuine.

But amplifying your influence as a leader isn't just about having a strong vision or a big personality. It's also about having the right leadership capability and being able to execute on your ideas and plans.

The consequences of not having the right level of influence as a leader can be significant. Without the ability to inspire and motivate others, you may struggle to achieve your goals and make a real impact.

How Influential Are you? Take the scorecard at amplifyyourinfluence.scor