Use the SCARF model to influence and lead
Use the SCARF model to influence and lead
5 minutes
For leaders of the future, especially those in environments with increasingly flat structures, influence is one of the most important skills to master.
The SCARF Model offers a lens to understand how our actions resonate neurologically with others. It’s a powerful guide for leaders to thoughtfully and effectively engage with their teams and stakeholders, making every interaction count.
By embracing this understanding of the brain, you can transform the way you interact, leading to more influential, effective, and empathetic leadership.
No one looks forward to interacting with ‘that’ difficult person. But there are ways to cultivate an environment with them to collaborate more effectively and ultimately have some influence on their actions or buy-in.
We all have these five triggers that cause us to respond negatively or positively in conversations. Most people are likely to have a more prominent trigger. Try to pinpoint the neurological response causing resistance:
- Status: is about where a person is in relation to others around them. When a person’s own status feels threatened, it can prompt a negative reaction.
- Certainty: is based on concerns about being able to predict the future. When a person’s certainty about the future is threatened, it can cause a negative response.
- Autonomy: provides a sense of control over work or events. When a person feels they can lose their autonomy in some way, it can prompt a negative reaction.
- Relatedness: is a sense of safety with others, of friend rather than foe. For some people, if they cannot relate, they react adversely.
- Fairness: is a perception of impartial and just exchanges between people. If someone perceives a situation to be unfair, this could also cause them to react negatively.
Write down some ideas to interact with this person to navigate their threat/reward response. Remember, you can control your reaction (not theirs) and have strategies ready to help manage what you know may be a trigger for you.
Consider if this person triggers your own threat/reward response and be mindful of how they make you react in conversation. This awareness can be helpful in navigating future conversations with them.
