The Leader Should Develop a Leader
Leaders create (and need) followers
Leaders create (and need) change
Leaders and followers have congruent value systems
Leadership is a process not an event
Every day, news headlines like those that featured Darleen Druyun provide for us the “open” window. We know about it, they know about it and the result (other than humiliation) is either confrontational denial or public confession. Often, denial is followed by the confession when a person finally comes to grips with doing the right thing as evidence mounts or as consequences become more serious for others involved. It is often these large, very public failures of others as leaders that perhaps contribute to creating blind spots in ourselves—we’re not THAT bad.
In the second window, there are failures in ourselves that others are aware of, but we are not. This was the case with Darleen Druyun --and is likely the case in most situations of leadership falling short. What happens? From what I have seen (in organizations and in myself), the leader has possibly not taken the most egregious steps yet, but the course they are on is clearly one of potentially larger failure. This typically manifests itself in a variety of ways, such as some degree of arrogance that is evident to many, strongly expressed anger visited on whoever happens to be in the way, or even retaliation against people who oppose them. The ancient Greek tragedies are filled with this failure, hubris they called it, which was always a precursor to worse things. It remains so today: human nature has not changed.
The failure at this point is that the leader has begun to fail the people around them by creating a climate of fear rather than an environment where it is safe to give the boss feedback. They make the work more about themselves than others. These leaders often tell themselves that they have done nothing illegal and that their work is essential to the organization’s results. They come to believe they can do anything because that is how it has been reinforced for them. The danger here is twofold without understanding where they are falling short, leaders perpetuate their poor performance, especially as it impacts others; and pride and arrogance lead to greater potential failures. From this point is is only a short and very slippery slope to more serious failures.
It is in the third window, where we recognize things in ourselves that others do not yet know, where failure can best be headed off early. It is here where our beliefs begin to be tested in the crucible of growing power. I am confident that none of us starts out in public service with the intention of failing our people and our government. Quite the contrary. A commitment to serve others and to serve the American people does not suddenly evaporate when we encounter an opportunity to abuse our power for personal gain. Our commitment and humility are continually tested from the time we take on our first leadership roles. It is in this window into us that the seeds of public failure are either sown or are rooted out. So where do we begin?
Leaders create (and need) followers
Leaders create (and need) change
Leaders and followers have congruent value systems
Leadership is a process not an event
Every day, news headlines like those that featured Darleen Druyun provide for us the “open” window. We know about it, they know about it and the result (other than humiliation) is either confrontational denial or public confession. Often, denial is followed by the confession when a person finally comes to grips with doing the right thing as evidence mounts or as consequences become more serious for others involved. It is often these large, very public failures of others as leaders that perhaps contribute to creating blind spots in ourselves—we’re not THAT bad.
In the second window, there are failures in ourselves that others are aware of, but we are not. This was the case with Darleen Druyun --and is likely the case in most situations of leadership falling short. What happens? From what I have seen (in organizations and in myself), the leader has possibly not taken the most egregious steps yet, but the course they are on is clearly one of potentially larger failure. This typically manifests itself in a variety of ways, such as some degree of arrogance that is evident to many, strongly expressed anger visited on whoever happens to be in the way, or even retaliation against people who oppose them. The ancient Greek tragedies are filled with this failure, hubris they called it, which was always a precursor to worse things. It remains so today: human nature has not changed.
The failure at this point is that the leader has begun to fail the people around them by creating a climate of fear rather than an environment where it is safe to give the boss feedback. They make the work more about themselves than others. These leaders often tell themselves that they have done nothing illegal and that their work is essential to the organization’s results. They come to believe they can do anything because that is how it has been reinforced for them. The danger here is twofold without understanding where they are falling short, leaders perpetuate their poor performance, especially as it impacts others; and pride and arrogance lead to greater potential failures. From this point is is only a short and very slippery slope to more serious failures.
It is in the third window, where we recognize things in ourselves that others do not yet know, where failure can best be headed off early. It is here where our beliefs begin to be tested in the crucible of growing power. I am confident that none of us starts out in public service with the intention of failing our people and our government. Quite the contrary. A commitment to serve others and to serve the American people does not suddenly evaporate when we encounter an opportunity to abuse our power for personal gain. Our commitment and humility are continually tested from the time we take on our first leadership roles. It is in this window into us that the seeds of public failure are either sown or are rooted out. So where do we begin?