This is the 15th posting in the series The Path of the Honorable Leader.
Accountability. Holding others and self to be responsible for one’s actions. The Honorable Leader knows that there are no excuses. That whatever we do, we are responsible for the results. If we can take credit for the good, we should also be willing to take credit for the not so good, or sometimes, the bad. To hold people accountable means to love them enough to hold them responsible for their actions. Much like we teach our children the to be responsible for what they do, the Honorable Leader knows that this is something we should continue doing as adults. By holding others accountable, we build the framework for growth. That a lack of accountability leads to reckless actions, pain, setbacks, and a life of mediocrity.
Holding others accountable is hard. To tell someone they missed the mark, while encouraging them to do better, takes time and energy. It puts the leader in a vulnerable position as he must sometimes buck against the headwind. His may be the lone voice that calls for reasonableness and accountability. Too often, leaders fail to hold others accountable. That in their quest for power, prestige and profits, they sacrifice accountability. The Honorable Leader knows better. Accountability is a cornerstone for long term growth. Accountability, while sometimes painful, is the only way to sustained progress.
As an Honorable Leader, hold others, and yourself, accountable for your actions.
As my wife and I raised our children we had many debates about what and when to tell them certain things about life. When do we tell them about Santa Clause? When was the best time to explain the birds and the bees? When was it ok to let them go see a PG-13 movie that contained heavy references to sex, alcohol or drugs? (I threw in the last one, because while this was a no-brainer for us, we just saw several families with very young children at the movies watching “Just Go With It.”) While we all have different answers to these questions, it is obvious that we don’t tell our kids everything, until they are ready.
I believe in honesty and integrity, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re obligated as leaders to tell people everything we know, all the time. There seems to be a growing movement out there that seems to believe that leaders are obligated to be completely transparent. As a leader… don’t fall into this trap.
I’ve been hired to salvage troubled projects before. Sometimes I was successful, other times… well, not so much. Trouble projects are not hard to identify. In fact, it’s relatively easy. They’re chronically late, over budget, have poor quality, and the team is often in disarray. If you’ve been a project manager for any length of time, you will certainly have managed a troubled project. Saving a troubled project is not rocket science, but it is one of the more difficult things to do.
For you Star Trek fans, I’m sure you’re familiar with the Kobayashi Maru scenario. In both the original Star Trek series and the movie that was released in 2010, Kirk faced a computer simulation developed by Spock while at Starfleet Academy. The simulation was created as a “no win” scenario to teach the cadets that there could be a time where there is no way to win. That nothing you could do would lead to victory.
As leaders, not just in the military, we must understand that winning may not always be an option. As a leader, how you deal with this scenario will determine the direction of your career. You will notice that while you may face a no-win scenario, that doesn’t mean you must admit defeat. If you are facing defeat, follow this link – Overcoming Defeat. If you appear to be facing a no-win scenario, here’s what you should be doing. Read the rest of this entry »
I spoke at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting this morning… and was shocked by some of the comments I got. My topic was “Unsticking Your Business – Overcoming the Top 10 Reasons for Business Failure.” As I began to speak, I was interrupted with a question in the middle of my introduction. I listed the Top 10 reasons for business failure, and “the economy” wasn’t on my list. Someone asked, “don’t you think that maintaining (surviving) is a good thing in this economy?” My answer was no, and some people took offense to it. Find out why…
I’ve given a lot of thought to what constitutes leadership, and I sometimes think we’re mixing apples and oranges. Is it our job as leaders to ensure that people in our organization feel good about themselves? Is it our purpose to help them find fulfilling work, or to provide the work and let them sort out the feeling good and fulfillment side of things? As leaders, do we need to be completely transparent in an effort to ensure that everyone feels valued? I have my opinion on this topic, and it’s probably not what you think. What about you? Do you think we’re confusing leadership with helping others feel good about themselves?
I was a guest on talk radio today as part of a panel discussing leadership. The topic was Where Have All the Leaders Gone? The discussion was lively and a lot of attention was focused on why leaders behave badly. More specifically, we asked the question, does the end justify the means? Why is it that most organizations frown on bad behavior, yet reward those who exhibit it when they produce results? On the flip side, is it wise to reward “good” behavior, without looking at results?
My daughter and I were watching Tabatha’s Salon Takeover on Bravo the other night where one of the hairstylists was obviously a poor performer. She wasn’t great at time management, talked incessantly about herself, disregarded her client’s time constraints, was a poor listener, didnt’ take criticism to heart and was a drag on the other stylists. This girl was nice enough, but was so full of excuses and a lack of commitment to improve.
Here’s a clip from the episode. Caution: For those of you who don’t like harsh language, there is one f-bomb bleeped out during the scene.
This is the fifth in series The Path of the Honorable Leader.
The Honorable Leader knows, that civility is not a weakness. To be civil, when dealing with an opponent who isn’t, requires great strength and courage. It is easy to pick up a rock and throw it, in the hope of proving a point by pummeling the opposition. It is much harder to find common ground to find a solution that works for everyone.
“Great minds have purposes, others have wishes. Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above them.” – Washington Irving
There are two types of people in the world; those that are experiencing misfortune and those who will. The measure of you as a person lies in your response to life’s events. As you journey through life, some of those events will be classified as misfortune. Rather than devising plans to avoid misfortune, you will be better off if you plan your response to it. How will you respond?
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