People won't believe your message unless they first believe in you as the messenger.
Have you ever worked with someone who just had that X factor with people? When they speak, people listen. When they make a suggestion, people act on it. When they lead a team, people are willing to follow them into battle. What is it about them as a person that inspires passionate followership?
According to a rich and deep history of social psychology research, these people display two qualities: Warmth and Strength. These people are universally admired, respected and influential, across cultures. The paradox? They are rare.
Michelle Rushton and Shaun Kenny, co-founders of Leadership Engine, call this The Smiling Ox Paradox® (yes, it's actually a registered trademark!). Smiling represents Warmth. Ox represents 'strong as an ox'. The paradox is that people are typically seen as either warm or strong, but not both.
This diagnostic has been developed and refined since 2013 and has been completed by thousands of leaders. Leaders don't find out how they see the world. They discover how the world sees them.
| Warmth | Strength | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension | Archetype | Dimension | Archetype |
| Trustworthiness | The Safe Harbour | Competence | The Expert |
| Connection | The Connector | Commitment | The Driver |
| Giving | The Giver | Composure | The Rock |
| Encouragement | The Cheerleader | Assertiveness | The Commander |
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What we measure for each dimension
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This diagnostic is powerful across the entire organisational hierarchy.
Leadership Engine is the platform for diagnostics, dashboards and roadmaps.
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People of Influence is the consultancy through which Michelle Rushton and Shaun Kenny deliver leadership development programs, team offsites and facilitate impactful conferences.
Visit People of Influence →