How to be a Positive Influence Leader with Glenn and Michael Parker

Love in Action

Glenn and Michael Parker are a father-son duo and the authors of The Positive Influence Leader: Helping People Become Their Best Self, which is a practical guide to transformative leadership. Glenn is an internationally recognized speaker, consultant, and author. Micheal is the Managing Director for Rockefeller Capital Management and a senior executive with over 25 years of experience in financial services. They join Marcel Schwantes to discuss the power and value of influence.Marcel asks Micheal and Glenn what inspired them to write their book. Glenn talks about the influence one of his former mentors left on him and how it impacted his life. Marcel shares his own story of his positive influence leader. [3:14]According to Micheal, the four types of positive influence leaders are: the supportive leader; the teacher leader; the motivating leader; and the role model. He gives examples of each archetype. [8:26]The transformational positive influence leader is a leader who is capable of embodying all four types. They’re able to identify and embody the appropriate type of leader in each situation. “All of us have the capacity within us to use all four types,” Glenn claims. “We may tend to use one or two more than others, but the ones that use all are the better leaders.” [15:02]“We've all had negative influences or experiences under the wrong type of leader or boss,” Marcel says. He asks Glenn to give details about coping strategies for dealing with a negative influence. “There are many people in life who think they’re being helpful [by telling us discouraging things] but their words are just code for ‘I don’t think you can do it,’” Glenn replies. He divulges some helpful strategies that interviewees for their book used. [18:33]Micheal shares how the current pandemic affected their release of The Positive Influence Leader. “At first, we thought the timing wasn’t right and that there were more important things to focus on,” he says. “A week or so later, [Glenn] said that we should turn this crisis into an opportunity we can leverage for however long it takes to observe leaders stepping up and evolving into positive influences.” The pandemic provided them with the opportunity to see in real-time how leaders lead in times of crisis. [23:38]Micheal talks about what they learned during the pandemic. “Leaders in a time of crisis must be open and authentic; authentic leaders don’t deny, deceive, or deflect,” he advises. Even when they don’t have all the information, authentic leaders are honest, clear and specific. They say things like “This is what we know as of this moment, but the situation is fluid and things can change.” [25:11]Marcel asks Glenn how leaders can implement the strategies written in their book. Glenn suggests that leadership teams can discuss the discussion questions at the end of each chapter. Additionally, there is a self-assessment survey they can take to discover their preferred style of leadership, which identifies the styles in which they need improvement. [28:07]ResourcesGlenn Parker on LinkedIn | TwitterEmail: [e-mail] Michael Parker on LinkedIn Email: [e-mail] The Positive Influence Leader: Helping People Become Their Best Self | ThePositiveInfluenceLeader.com