How leaders influence people to believe | Michael Dowling | Big Think

How leaders influence people to believe
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What does it take to be a leader? For Northwell Health president and CEO Michael Dowling, having an Ivy League degree and a large office is not what makes a leader. Leadership requires something much less tangible: influence.

True leaders inspire people to follow and believe in them and the organization's mission by being passionate, having humility, and being a real part of the team. This is especially important in a field like health care, where guidance and teamwork save lives.

Authenticity is also key. "Don't pretend, be real," says Dowling. "Accept your vulnerabilities, accept your weaknesses, know where your strengths are, and get people to belong."
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MICHAEL DOWLING:

Michael J. Dowling is president and chief executive officer of Northwell Health, New York's largest health care provider and private employer, with 23 hospitals, more than 800 outpatient locations, and 75,000+ employees. One of health care's most influential executives, Mr. Dowling has received numerous awards, including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, an honorary degree from the prestigious Queen's University Belfast and his selection as the Grand Marshal of the 2017 St. Patrick's Day Parade in NYC. He also serves as chair of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

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TRANSCRIPT:

MICHAEL DOWLING: Well, leadership, in many ways, is about influence. It's about getting people to believe in what you believe in. I fundamentally believe that people want to follow if they believe. If they feel there's a connection between what you're selling and what they believe in themselves.

And health care, of course, is an extraordinary place for that because what we do all the time is we're trying to keep people well. We're trying to help people that get sick. We're trying to save people, bring families back together, bring children into the world, take care of all the people at the end of life.

There is nothing more fundamental and human than that. But you've got to be able, as any leader, irrespective of what you're working in, you've got to be able to influence the behavior of people and get them to believe.

My view is the first thing you do to make that happen is you've got to believe it yourself. If you're passionate yourself about what you believe in, it is serious, it's just not a job, it's something that's inherent in you, that this is what you really care for.

If people know that it is innate to your being and that you really care for this, and that you're compassionate yourself, and that you feel for it, it resonates. It gets people to connect. It's not a thing you're selling, it's a feeling you're selling, it's a belief system you're selling. It's about connections.

It's also about humility. It's also about not taking yourself too seriously, and what I mean by that is, especially if you're a CEO, what is a CEO? You're a part of a team. You're the captain. But you have to be a player. You're not a title. The captain who's on a team that is not a player and nobody respects—the title means nothing.

I know I was fortunate to play sports. Games are won in the locker room, the feeling of camaraderie among players. That feeling is about "I'm for you, you're for me. We go down together, we go up together. We win together, we lose together."

But if I'm the captain, the "CEO" in that locker room, and I consider myself so important, you know, I work and I live in a big office, and my desk is huge and I drive a big car and I live in a nice neighborhood and look where I got my degree from. And I meet people like this, "Oh, look where I got my degree from. I'm top of my class." And quite frankly, I could care less. Are you a team player? Are you respected? Are you appreciated? Can you influence? Will people follow you?

I mean, if you're going down the road and you look back and there's nobody following, you're not a leader. It's when you look back and you have followers. Leadership is about followership. If you have no followers, you're not a leader.

And you gain respect by your authenticity. Don't pretend, be real, you know? Accept your vulnerabilities, accept your weaknesses, know where your strengths are, and get people to belong.

People want to belong to a cause. Engage people, just don't direct them, just don't talk to them. Engage them. It's a participatory process.

[MasteryOrder]

In the long run people follow people that can offer trust and that can serve as examples by what they say and what they do.

[abdul]

One of the sages of Islam (Umar) described the leader and said: I want a man if he was among the people and not their leader, he would be as if he were their leader, and if he was their leader, he was as if he were a man of them.

[apnadhaba]

You are right, i feel very much appreciated myself through your speech. What i am doing now that's very different from my experience I left software industry after a long time of 20 years and started my own Dhaba that is very far different from my past experience but here I am encouraging myself daily to believe myself through the staff members to get the best.

[danielsayre]

Hey Michael.
Three bits of information resonated with me...
Having real conviction and passion in our beliefs
Your use of a personal story to explain why we shouldn't become passive "leaders"
Being intellectually honest; leveling with people, being genuine

Thank you for this clip, I enjoyed how succinctly you gave down-to-Earth advice!

[JohnnyPERRY]

I know this feeling. I've spent years pushing people away. Peopke naturally follow me. It's easy, I'm not a manipulative person. Leading people scares me because it's a HUGE extreme responsibility. Who am I to learn I DONT EVEN KNOW SINCERELY COMPLETELY WHERE IM GOING... I WISH I COULD FIND SOMETHING WORTH LEADING PEOPLE TO, A DIRECTION A PURPOSE WHICH IS RIGHTEOUS. RELIGION IS DIFFICULT. OTHER THAN RELIGION I MEAN.

[backpacker]

There's a HUGE piece of the puzzle he barely touches on. Followers need to know their leader truly cares about them, not just the product. In fact, if the leader demonstrates enough concern for the follower, the product can be just a means to the end of taking care of the workers - making sure they are making enough money to keep everyone employed and successful.

At the small business or subdivision level, this can be purely interpersonal interaction. Even a few minutes of your time spent talking and LISTENING in a genuine way can reap huge benefits. But when the company is too large for the leader to spend frequent time with each employee, that must transition into tangible rewards.

Unfortunately, most large companies keep financial rewards at the executive level. What most labor employees are shown time and time again is NOT "we win together we lose together". What they are shown is "we win, I (the leader) get paid a lot more and you get paid the same; we lose, and I (the leader) get paid only a little bit more, and you still get paid the same, if you're lucky enough to avoid being laid off."

[LawyerBJS]

Very sound advice! Authenticity wins always!

[graphicsdeveloper]

Decision defines destiny..I’ve decided to quit my job and focus on investing with my portfolio trader and manager

[gogolepimukherjee]

Seeing the number of views (and considering what's been spoken), I believe it's the most underrated Big Think Video !

[w.d.g.]

Cults, religion, delusional groups are overflowing with the easily influenced.

[maksimghyvoronsky]

Anyone can influence anyone, be it intentionally or not. So no, leadership has nothing to do with influence The fact that this gentleman can just say that without any discernment shows me that he’s just saying something for the sake of saying it, not even with any real conviction. At minimum, he has not paid the attention due..

Real leadership is about leaving an impact. Influence can come about without any effort, even as a consequence unintended or otherwise. Impact however is generally achieved with intention, with purpose on purpose and is far longer lasting, not fleeting like influence can be. There is a KEY difference between the two.

Now, I’m no one to butt in to correct anyone, however I think that even most charlatans understand these basic and key differences between the two. It is a bit strange to hear such a statement from Big Think.

[pedrogonzalesgonzales]

It’s important to capture people’s hearts and minds if you grab them by the balls their hearts and minds will follow.

[xICEx]

There's a small language barrier at the end: Instead of "just don't" you should be saying "don't just".

[nokoolaid]

There is a third position: Searchers. Not everyone is a follower or leader.

[danishahmad]

Plz don't pretend anything.
Be authentic if you wanna be a leader
It's all about followers
Accept your weaknessess

[stephenmonash]

Unfortunately, many nation states use pervasive fear as a tool to garner subscription to their warped world views. Fear is the overarching tool used by state and non- state actors. To them it is an expedient way to bypass honesty - compassion - and pursue their greedy passions.

[muskduh]

I would rather be actually, factually correct than "politically" correct.

[just_ahuman]

"Games are won in the locker room" 👍

[isee]

Nice now gonna make an army of students on my side

[Matthew]

This content is truly unparalleled. A book I read with similar wisdom was a turning point for me. "The Hidden Empire: Inside the Private Worlds of Elite CEOs" by Adam Skylight