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Engaging the Left-Brained Leader

Engaging the Left-Brained Leader Leadership plays a critical role in the success of any workplace initiative. So if your CEO is “left-brained” — logical, rational, organized — the key to winning his or her support for change is to understand, and tailor your case to suit, his or her communications style.

Here are some guidelines for engaging the left-brained leader:

• Identify the critical need: Outline the rationale for the initiative. Explain the sense of urgency driving this change, and the consequences of not taking action.
• List the advantages: Describe how the company and employees will benefit from the initiative.
• Be organized: Build your case in a logical, orderly fashion.
• Back up your claims: Provide data and case studies to support your points.
• Play devil’s advocate: List potential challenges/issues — then offer solutions for addressing them.
  
  

But that’s just the beginning. While it’s vital to “speak the same language” as your left-brained leader, it’s also important to integrate some right-brain elements to your messaging. Why? Forward-thinking companies are moving to a whole-brained approach to business. That means right-brained qualities, such as emotional intelligence, creativity and risk-taking, are being valued and cultivated in the workplace.

Organizations that refuse to move beyond traditional, left-brained thinking risk undermining long-term profitability and success. According to recent findings from the Center for Creative Leadership, leaders who don’t know how to support innovation inadvertently sabotage innovation and kill new ideas.

If you’re working for a CEO who’s firmly entrenched in left-brained thinking, you can take gradual steps to incorporate right-brained arguments to your messaging. As you identify the critical need for change, paint the picture of the future state of your organization. For example, explain how the initiative will help enrich the employee experience and strengthen your corporate culture. Then segue to the data supporting the change, so your CEO can see the cost/benefit of the initiative.

By subtly expanding your messaging when proposing critical initiatives, you’ll keep your left-brained leader engaged in what you have to say, while helping him or her make decisions based on a more holistic business model.

This article was written by Sara Hill of Hill, Barolet & Associates LLC.