When Bad Leadership Happens to Good People

When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber.

– Winston Churchill

A story is told about a man who went to the doctor to get the results of his test. The doctor sat him down and told him, “I have some very bad news for you. I’m afraid that you are afflicted with a fatal and incurable disease.”

In disbelief the man replies, “Well, isn’t there anything you can do?” “Well, maybe you could go to a spa and start taking daily mud baths,” the doctor tells him. “Mud baths, will that help me?” the man asks. “Probably not,” replies the doctor, “but at least you can get used to being covered in dirt.”

In recent weeks it would seem that a lot of good people have been covered in the dirt of bad leadership. Two examples quickly come to mind. Consider the horrifying events disclosed at Penn State and the subsequent terminations that followed. In Washington, a carefully chosen super-committee of elected officials failed to reach an agreement that would begin a process of getting our national debt under control.

In both examples, as is often the case, good people are the ones who suffer the most at the expense of bad leadership. Plato said, “The measure of a man is what he does with power.” And this holds true for leaders. Whether it is an abuse of power or the failure to carry out leadership responsibilities; bad leadership happens to good people. So here are three things to remember when it does and how to not lose faith.

Bad leaders are the exception not the rule. One does not have to look far to find examples of bad leadership. And that is part of the problem. We tend to find and focus on the bad and ignore the good. Mark Twain aptly said, “Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.” And this is what we must reconcile.

So for every politician, coach, CEO, or Wall Street executive you read about that give their brand a bad name, there are far more who play by the rules and are just as disappointed by bad leadership as you are.

Showing faith is still a good idea. Good people are apt to trust. But good will can be betrayed and the fallout messy. So how do good people justify trust in this age of cynicism? The answer, in part, is found in the words of Emerson who said, “Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great.”

When good people hold leadership to a higher standard of behavior and service then it becomes the responsibility of leadership to step up and deliver. Even when bad leadership happens to good people, showing goodness is what gives others a reason to believe and do the right thing.

Good leaders will always be in demand. The criteria of talent searches are always the same. I’ve yet to find a job description that asks for applicants to apply who are unscrupulous, ruthless, self-serving, or corrupt. The standard is always a high one and rightfully so. So often in the discussion on leadership much is made about its demands, responsibilities, and obligations. While the demands of leadership are strong; so too, is the demand for good leaders.

Noted leadership author Phil Taylor writes, “One’s ability to interact in a positive and effective way with others is clearly the single most important skill one can possess.” I agree. Your demand as a leader rises as you follow the Golden Rule.

In a poem by Mother Teresa, she writes, “The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway. Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt. Give the world your best anyway.”  Though bad leadership happens to good people, good people overcome by being better. 

© 2011 Doug Dickerson

Why Giving Thanks Matters

Thanksgiving is when one species ceases to gobble and another begins.

-          R.E. Marion 

A story is told of two men who were walking through a field one day when they spotted an enraged bull. Instantly they darted toward the nearest fence. The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent that they would not make it.

Terrified, the one shouted to the other, “Put up a prayer, John. We are in for it!” John answered, “I can’t. I’ve never made a public prayer in my life.” “But you must,” implored his companion. “The bull is catching up to us.” “All right,” panted John, “I’ll say the only prayer I know, the one my father used to repeat at the table: O Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful.”

Thanksgiving, to borrow a football analogy, is like the two-minute warning at the end of an NFL game. At the two-minute warning comes a chance to catch your breath and finish strong. Thanksgiving is the two-minute warning signaling the close of a long year whereby you can rest, be with family and friends, and reflect on all your blessings.

What kind of a year has it been for you? What does the scoreboard say? Are you thankful for your blessings as well as the challenges you have faced this year? Robert Louis Stevenson said, “Keep your eyes open to your mercies. The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life.”

The two men walking through the field met an unwelcomed challenge that quickly changed the course of their personal well-being. That’s how life unfolds—fast, unexpected at times, but never boring. For those in leadership, possessing a thankful heart is how you finish strong. But why does being thankful matter? Here are three reasons why that will put it into focus.

Giving thanks connects you to the source of your blessing. The further removed you are from the source of your blessings the easier it is to take your blessings for granted. In a recent blog post,( http://bit.ly/sBad2X) Michael Hyatt shared how at the encouragement of a friend, he started carrying a gratitude rock in his pocket. Hyatt writes, “The idea is simple. Whenever my hand contacts the stone–usually several times a day–I give thanks for whatever is happening at that moment, whether good or bad.”

Giving thanks connects you and reminds you that regardless of what you are going through, there is always something for which to be thankful. What is the source of your blessings? Be it your faith, family, or other significant person, show your appreciation.

Giving thanks empowers you to serve. What is the greater purpose of your leadership? When you understand that it is not about you then you are prepared to serve causes greater than yourself. Likewise, you will be hard pressed to find a whiner or complainer who puts the cares and concerns of others above his own.

The late Fred Rogers said, “The real issue is not how many blessings we have, but what we do with our blessings. Some people have many blessings and hoard them. Some have few and give everything away.” I am convinced that the more you have to be thankful for the more generous you will be. Servant leadership begins with a thankful heart.

Giving thanks completes you as a leader. Many terms are used to identify a leader: visionary, passionate, honest, trustworthy, delegator, and decision maker, to name a few. As noble and necessary as those qualities are it is thankfulness that completes and compliments your leadership.

How do you express gratitude to those around you? John Maxwell said, “The people who follow you also desire a personal touch. They want to know that others care about them.” The circle of caring is completed as you nurture a thankful attitude and demonstrate it to others.

Giving thanks matters and is a key ingredient in your growth as a leader. A thankful heart will connect you with the source of your blessings, empower you to serve others, and will complete you as a leader. Don’t allow the negatives you are faced with to drain you of your of your energy or cause you to take your eye off the ball. Give thanks, give it often, and finish strong. 

© 2011 Doug Dickerson

Three Things You Need to Know About Recognition

I can live for two months on a good compliment – Mark Twain

A story is told how one day the great Italian artist Michelangelo happened to overhear a group of people admiring his Pieta, a statue of Christ on His mother’s knee after His death on the cross. One man attributed the work to another sculptor, much to the chagrin of Michelangelo, who took particular pride in the Pieta. Returning to the sculpture after dark that evening, Michelangelo carved his name on it so that no similar mistake would occur in the future.

In your workplace, does recognition matter? Is it a motivator? John Baldoni, author of the book, Great Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders, says it does. “It matters a great deal. As mentioned earlier, employees have a strong desire for recognition.” Baldoni summarizes the findings of Catherine Meeks, president of Meek Associates who has conducted thousands of employee interviews. Meeks states, “If I had to pick one thing that comes through to me loud and clear it’s that organizations do a lousy job of recognizing people’s contributions.”

One pitfall leaders face is in giving proper recognition where deserved and having to cater to employees who require a lot of strokes. Dave Ramsey, in his highly acclaimed new book, EntreLeadership, says, “Too many people in business have become so shallow that they are merely transactional, not relational. The people on your payroll are not units of production, they are people.” That is practical advice worth remembering. Understanding the practice recognition and how it impacts your business is important. Consider these three benefits and the difference it can make.

Recognition builds morale. The hard work and efforts of your team are worth praising and recognition is always an investment in your people. Highly motivated people do not necessarily need the recognition, but it does signify that you are mindful of their hard work and that it is appreciated. For others who require more strokes it can be the spark they need to go to a new level.

Dale Carnegie says, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” Do you want to build morale in your organization? Would you like to see an uptick in productivity? When you recognize team members it builds morale and the environment you create will give wind to your sails.

Recognition breeds loyalty.  On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your employee- to- employer loyalty quotient? Rensis Likert said, “The greater the loyalty of a group toward the group, the greater is the motivation among the members to achieve the goals of the group, and the greater the probability that the group will achieve its goals.” Recognition and loyalty go hand-in-hand. If you want to build a culture of loyalty first begin with recognition.

From her employee interviews, Catherine Meeks quotes them as saying, “If my boss would just say thank you, if he would just acknowledge that I exist. The only time I hear anything is when I screw up. I never hear when I do a good job.” That type of attitude will do more to breed contempt than it will ever do to build loyalty.  Loyalty is reciprocal and when it is not given it should not be expected. In short, loyalty is a two-way street.

Recognition builds bridges. When you build morale and loyalty within your organization, you are building up the greatest resource you have -- your people. What is your R+V=P score? The formula is: Recognition +Value = Performance. In short, a team that is recognized and valued will perform with greater purpose and performance.

Do you need to build bridges to greater productivity, or new clientele? How about building bridges to better relationships in your office?  When morale is strong then loyalty will not be far behind. Couple strong morale and loyalty and you now have the winning ingredients to create a climate of excellence.

Who have you recognized today?

©2011 Doug Dickerson

Don't Miss Your Destiny

The real test of a man is not when he plays the role that he wants for himself but when he plays the role destiny has for him. – V´aclav Havel

For movie buffs, it is one of the most memorable scenes in movie lore. James Callahan, the lead character in Dirty Harry portrayed by Clint Eastwood, has just killed two bank robbers. A third bank robber (Albert Popwell) lies wounded on the pavement near a gun. Callahan approaches him with his .44 Magnum and delivers the line, “…you’ve got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk?”

The movie ranks 51^st on 100 years…100 Movie Quotes for the line Callahan delivers. But for all of the recognition Eastwood received for the role, he was not the one originally cast for the role. Initially, Frank Sinatra accepted the role but eventually backed out due to a hand injury. Burt Lancaster also turned down the role.

As for other famous movies it is interesting to note that W.C. Fields passed on playing the role of Wizard in The Wizard of Oz. Fields wanted $100,000 and MGM offered just $75,000. Cary Grant turned down a role in James Bond, Bette Davis turned down the role of Scarlet O’Hara in Gone with the Wind, Daryl Hanna turned down the role of Vivian, in Pretty Woman, and Al Pacino turned down the role of Han Solo in Star Wars.

Someone once said, “Be willing to give up all that you now are to be all that you can become.” And that is what leaders do. As some actors vacated roles that were handed to them, others stepped up and became stars. The journey of leadership, as in life, is not always predictable. How you respond will determine the role destiny has for you. Consider these three points of destiny as you set the course of your leadership development.

The unexpected; dare to embrace it. In his new book, Nearing Home, Billy Graham shares about his early ambitions in life. His dream was to be a professional baseball player. But there was a greater role that destiny had for him and baseball was not it. While baseball is certainly an honorable profession, the calling upon Billy Graham’s life was a higher one.

An inability to embrace the unexpected can make the difference between a promotion verses a raise, a large new account verses one small sale, or a life that touches millions verses a life lived in the shadows. If the unexpected is treated as an interruption and not seen as an opportunity, it will hold you back. Embrace the unexpected; it could be your blessing in disguise.

Your uncertainties; rise above them. After a devastating fire swept through his lab, no one would have blamed him if he decided to give up and pursue another career. When found in the midst of the rubble the fire left behind, he turned to his son and said, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.” And start anew is what Thomas Edison did. Three weeks after the fire, he managed to deliver his first phonograph.

Whether your uncertainties are born out of tragedy, your imagination, or by skepticism placed upon you by others; your destiny is within reach when you rise above your doubts and conquer your fears. Shakespeare was right when he said, “Our doubts are traitors and cause us to miss the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.” The first step towards achieving your destiny as a leader is making the attempt.

The unimaginable; you can live it. In the book, Halftime: Changing Your Game Plan from Success to Significance, Bob Buford writes, “Most people never discover their ‘one thing.’ But part of what is so unsettling about approaching the end of the first half of our lives is that we know it is out there somewhere.” The unimaginable is the dream you have that will elevate you beyond the traditional definition of success to a more purposeful life of significance.

Regardless of the role destiny has for you as a leader, I am a firm believer that you can achieve it. When you embrace the unexpected, overcome your doubts, you can live the unimaginable. The reach of your leadership rests in the power of the beliefs.

Have you embraced your destiny? 

© 2011 Doug Dickerson