There comes a time

Leadership, the art of bringing others together for the achievement of a common goal, is not a popularity contest. As much as most of us want to be well regarded, there will always come a time in which a decision that we make goes against the grain. We will be questioned about the reasonableness of that decision because on its face it does not strike others as making sense. 

You knew that this decision would face opposition before you announced it.  But you also knew that you alone understood the grounds for coming to that conclusion.  As long as you met the moral, legal and ethical benchmarks, you were simply exercising the responsibilities that your function required of you.

Here’s the thing.  People object for several reasons but the primary two are:

·       They don’t like the consequences of the decision on their lives, or

·       It’s just a bad decision.  It is wrong on its’ merits.

During this pandemic, we have seen repeated objections to the decisions being made by governments around the world.  And the objections have invariably fallen into one of these two categories. The pandemic has been worsened in most areas of the world because leaders could not properly advance the merits of their correct decisions; and because so many of the decisions were just bad.

What can we learn from this and apply to our own businesses.  I submit the following:

1.    It is not enough to be right; one must also be seen to be right if there is to be broad acceptance of your decisions.  This boils down to communications.  For example, in countries like New Zealand and Australia, very strict regulations were imposed on the populace.  A vigorous information campaign complemented the restrictions offering the people the hope of a quicker return to ‘normality’ and reduced infections and death. The ‘buy in’ was widely accepted and the results are that the two countries are now in a mutual travel bubble and the expectations of ‘normality’ have been functionally achieved even before wide spread vaccinations are in place.

The lesson for business leaders is simply that the better you communicate the more likely you are to succeed.  The communication strategy must accompany, not follow, a decision that others will find tough to accept. If your messaging does not acknowledge…I mean really give a damn…about the consequences, then you are doomed…as you should be.

2.    The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry! T’is true since plans were made. Despite our best intentions we mess up.  During Covid there have been widespread errors, especially in the Americas and Europe.  Leaders have been too slow and/or unwilling to face the realities of the disease because they are conducting popularity contests, not governing.  Witness the tragedies that are Brazil, the USA and parts of Europe.  The tragedies are twofold.  Failure to follow science and failure to acknowledge mistakes.

 

In your business you have made decisions you regret.  Welcome to reality.  But mistakes won’t fix themselves and left unattended, they only worsen.

Not surprisingly, your best action is the same as above, that is, communicate.  You start with a sincere and personal mea culpa. Forgiveness is a common human response.  This stems from people’s desire for effective leadership.  Unless you are a serial loser, they are looking to you for the answers because history shows that you generally deliver.  When you fail their inclination is to support you in the hope and expectation that you will get it right the next time.

 

It is seldom the case that someone will step forward to challenge your leadership.  The vast majority simply don’t want the responsibility. So regroup, rethink, and then communicate your agenda. 

 

Just don’t go to the well too often!