If you listen to
the radio, search the internet or read a newspaper, every politician, local or
civic leader, sports celebrity (and even many church leaders) seem to have
expressed an unpopular opinion, have made a “politically incorrect” comment,
behaved in an inappropriate manner or has kept some “dirty little secret” from
the public (which, either accidentally or purposefully has “leaked” or become
exposed to the public). We are left with tarnished heroes, questionable
leaders, shaky relationships and a plethora of “conspiracy theories” from which
we must filter the accusations, investigate the claims and make our own value
judgments.
It seems we rarely are able to “judge a book by its cover” or “take
someone at face value” anymore as “what we see is no longer what we get” from
many individuals we once trusted. Rather than “building others up”
we seem to have an increasing number of individuals being given leadership
roles who would prefer to bring others down (so they can look better or at
least rationalize that they are not “so” bad). It is an exception
that individuals lift others up (rising to the top upon their accomplishments)
– that they manage others using the same standards they might apply to
themselves – rather than the “rule” it once was. Though business
does not typically examine its leaders with the same level of scrutiny we do
our political candidates (nor do we apply the same standard to our personal
relationships as we seek comfort in the current rather than challenging
ourselves to change), many individual “secrets” kept will affect our
effectiveness when given the opportunity to take action or make decisions in
ANY leadership role we may assume.
To manage others (or effectively navigate through situations) we
typically develop and communicate well-defined expectations identifying what
must be done (sometimes HOW it must be done), when it must be accomplished,
what rewards will be given (if success is achieved) and what might be the
negative impact if “good intentions” and “supreme efforts” fail to produce
acceptable results. Effective leaders initiate processes (after
ensuring that individuals expected to perform are qualified, trained and
capable) by clearly stating what must be accomplished THEN getting out of the
way so that work can be accomplished (while monitoring progress, helping to
guide efforts and maintaining control of the time-frame, not the specific
actions or activities). Linking rewards to the level of performance
demonstrated are invaluable components in the management of people. An
effective leader allows others to exhibit their strengths, learn from their
mistakes and grow by realizing their own capabilities. While controlling
and overbearing managers MAY accomplish what is expected in the time allotted,
the “dirty little secret” that is often ignored is that they rarely build
loyalty, create independent thinkers or help others grow.
Effective Leaders often operate more in the world of what could be
possible rather than what is probable. They tend to identify their
successes and measure their accomplishments against a “fluid and flexible” set
of values, standards and expectations. A list of “secrets” managers
should consider to ensure their success (AND that could be applied liberally to
any personal situation or relationship to make it successful) would include:
- It is OK and natural not to like everything you must do to
accomplish your job (or be successful within a personal
relationship). It is NOT OK to avoid, refuse to do, or ignore
the parts you dislike (or to remain “painfully silent” within a martyrs
role to keep from talking about an issue or concern).
- It is OK to make a mistake AND to make a wrong decision as
long as you learn from the error, can correct its negative ramifications
and grow in the future. It is NOT OK to keep making the same
mistake or to expect to grow by taking the path of least resistance – the
road well-traveled upon which everyone else goes – if you hope to achieve
different results than everyone else experiences.
- One must ACT on the things that can be controlled while IDENTIFYING
obstacles outside of your sphere of influence that might prevent you from
achieving your objectives. Once identified, either act to
eliminate the hurdles OR actively seek the help of someone who DOES have
the ability to overcome the inevitable so that you can move on to
accomplish the improbable.
- Lying, cheating, or stealing is intolerable. Great
performers whose high results come through dishonesty or at someone else’s
expense will be discredited and lose the respect of
others. Respect is a value that is sometimes difficult to earn
and hard to define or assign but easily lost and almost impossible to
restore.
- Effective leaders truly believe that there is nothing that “cannot
be done.” While some solutions MAY be cost-prohibitive,
impractical, or beyond our ability to implement, “I can’t,” “It’s not
possible,” or “don’t try it” are attitudes that are not part of successful
conversations.
- Well thought-out solutions that resolve issues encountered while
doing your job are not reasons for celebration – rather they are
expectations of the way you should continually exhibit and apply your abilities. Achieving
a milestone within a relationship should not be “the end” but rather
simply a “new beginning.” Effective leaders tend to be
eternally optimistic – believing that while “Rome may not have been built
in a day” it was definitely constructed through the work and efforts of
many committed to accomplishing a seemingly impossible dream.
In order to be successful
we must say what we mean, mean what we say, live as we would want
