I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “perception is reality.” Let’s think about how this might apply to leadership development.
When we get feedback on our leadership skills, either from our manager or through a 360 feedback process, we feel validated when people call out our strengths. Perception being reality is a good thing then! On the other hand, when we get feedback on areas that are seen as weaknesses and areas for development (e.g., defensiveness, micromanaging, uncaring, not collaborative, not strategic, not assertive enough, too aggressive), that saying doesn’t feel so great…
If the negative feedback surprises you, it may be because of an intention/perception gap, where you think you are coming across one way based on what you know your intentions to be but it is being received differently than you intend. One of the key considerations here is whether it is true feedback that requires a behavior change and/or skill development or whether instead it is a perception that needs changing. Often it is a combination of both.
Either way, you may want to figure out how to change those perceptions. Why? Here are a few possible reasons. The negative perceptions could:
- Detract from your ability to build a high performing team – when what you’d really like to do is attract the best people to the team, create a positive and energetic environment, enhance retention, etc.
- Decrease your and the team’s effectiveness – when what you’d really like to do is to increase stakeholder buy-in, generate more productivity, inspire more creativity and innovation, etc.
- Impede your future success – when what you’d really like is to be given increased responsibilities, be considered as a corporate talent, get a promotion, etc.
So how can you go about changing perceptions? That isn’t easy, as you might have already discovered. Once you’ve identified the behavior/approach changes you need to make, you can then work on implementing them consistently over time.
But that isn’t enough! There is research that indicates that if you make some changes in your approach, it can take 18 months for people to notice the change. We all have “lenses” that we apply when we observe and interpret people’s behaviors and these determine the assumptions we make about their motivations and intentions. These lenses are very firm, solidified, and locked in. We continue to use them even when there is evidence to the contrary.
18 months is a long time to wait for perceptions to change. So what can you do to shorten that time frame? The research shows that if you:
- let people know that you are trying to change,
- point out times when you have approached something differently, and
- ask for feedback on how you are doing,
you can reduce this timeframe to 6 months. Of course you have to use good judgement in terms of how, how much, and how often you do these so you don’t overdo it and end up creating another perception you don’t want to create.
Six months may still seem like a long time, but it shows how stubborn those lenses are. It may not feel fair that people are hanging on to old stories, but as we know, life isn’t fair!
Your efforts will be well worth it if they result in perception changes that lead to the positive results mentioned above. Keep in mind that your behavior change has to be genuine or again another perception may be created – that you are disingenuous.
You might find this video entertaining. The leader, Carla Harris, describes her view of leadership but also how she changed the perceptions people had of her (see minutes 10:58 to 16:52).
If you can create and continue this cycle of getting feedback, making changes in your approach, announcing the changes, pointing out the different approach(es) you are taking, getting feedback (and continue), and combine this with some patience, that intention/perception gap is sure to narrow and “perception is reality” will be a plus all the way around!
Remember that the legacy you leave behind will be based on your accomplishments but also on the perceptions others have of you.
Elevate your Leadership Potential
To learn more about perception and leadership development, reach out to Linda for a consultation.