“Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Leadership comes down to a simple issue:
Are you able to take ideas and translate them into action?
As a leader, you will be judged on whether you could put good ideas into action.
In Get Them on Your Side, Samuel B. Bacharach shares the political processes and political skills necessary to put good ideas in place.
3 Things to Put Good Ideas in Place
Putting good ideas in place involves three things:
- Map the terrain. Anticipate the reaction of others, identify allies and resistors, analyze their goals, and understand their agendas.
- Get allies and resistors on your side. Establish your credibility, justify your action, and get their support.
- Make things happen. Get the buy-in, put your ideas in place, and lead the coalition.
A Model for Putting Good Ideas in Place
Bacharach illustrates the following political competence model for putting good ideas in place.
Key Take Aways
Here are my key take aways:
- Find support for your good ideas. Good ideas aren’t enough. You need support to make them happen.
- Know the system. Knowing how the system works is a key to getting results.
- Map out the system. There’s a synergy in this system for results — the sum is greater than the parts.
While the model for putting good ideas in place might seem simple, the more you practice it, the more you will appreciate how it’s actually effective.
And the more practice you get at executing your ideas, the more you will improve your personal effectiveness at work.
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