The Law of Buy In (14)

People Buy In To The Leader, Then The Vision

The Law of Buy In states that before you can lead people, you have to get them to buy in to you as a person.  You have to get them to believe that you have the ability to add value to them as people first and then get them to believe that you have the ability to lead the group to success.  Once you get that buy in, then you give yourself a chance to lead them to success.  If you try to lead before you get the buy-in, they will never fully trust or follow you.  Sell yourself and build relationships first, then look to lead by adding value.

When Maxwell performs leadership seminars, he says that he is often approached during a break by someone who gives a brief description of an evolving vision, and ask him, "Do you think my people will buy into my vision?"  His response is always the same: "First tell me this.  Do you people buy into you?"

People don't at first follow worthy causes.  They follow worth leaders who promote causes they can believe in.  People buy into the leader first, then the leader's vision.  If you want people to buy into your vision, get them to buy into you!  The question really involves into, "Have I given my people reason to buy-into me?"

As the leader, YOU are the message.  Every message is filtered through the messenger who delivers it.  If you consider the messenger to be credible, then you believe the message has value.  That's why celebrities are paid so much to sell products or certain actors and actresses are paid so much to star in a movie or why certain music artists stay on top of the charts while its so hard for others to break through - people want to listen to them because they believe in them as people or because they have credibility as performers.

-  When Followers Don't Like The Leader Or The Vision ... They Look For Another Leader
If you can't get them to buy into you or the vision, you are out as the leader unless you have some kind of leverage - in which case, your time and effectiveness will be limited anyways.

- When Followers Don't Like The Leader But They Do Like The Vision .. They Look For Another Leader
Even if the people think a cause is good, if they don't like the leader, they will go out and find another one.  That's one reason that coaches change teams so often in professional sports - the vision is the same for all teams - winning a championship.  What often separates them are their leadership abilities and their credibility with players.

- When Followers Like The Leader But Not The Vision ... They Change The Vision
As long as they believe in you as the leader, they will give you a chance, even if that means that you need to find a new vision.  As long as they still buy into the leader, they rarely out-and-out reject him.  They will keep following.

- When Followers Like The Leader and The Vision .. They Get Behind Both
When people believe in their leader and the vision, they will follow the leader no matter how bad the conditions get or how bad the odds are stacked against them.  That belief is what continues to inspires followers to keep running the race, even when they feel they've hit the wall and given everything they've got.  Having a great vision and getting buy-in isn't enough.  You have to continue to grow as a leader.  

Buy-In Is Not About The Leader
You have to work hard to build credibility with the people you lead.  You have to forge relationships with the leaders.  You have to answer a lot of questions so that everybody can understand you and how you think as a leader.  You have to share your ideas, hopes and dreams for the work you all are doing.  Then you have to start producing growth.  Growth, more than anything, will give the people confidence in you and your leadership ability.

Belief in the leader is as important as a belief in the vision.  But, you have to sell yourself before you can sell your vision.  As a leader, you don't get points for being 'right.'  Your success is measured by your ability to actually take the people where they need to go.  You can only do that if the people first buy into you as a leader.

Applying The Law of Buy-In

1 - You have to have a vision for your leadership and your organization.  Write your thoughts in a vision statement.  Know what's important to you and where you want to lead your organization.

2 - What is the level of buy-in for the people you lead?  Make sure you are doing what is necessary to get buy-in from your people.

3 - Think about ways you can earn credibility with individuals
- Build relationships
- Be honest and authentic and develop trust
- Hold yourself to high standards and set a good example
- Give them the tools they need to do their job better
- Help them achieve their personal goals
- Develop them as leaders

*** Develop a strategy with each person.  If you make it your primary goal to add value to all of them, your credibility factor will rise rapidly.