Profiles of Courage

 

 

Allow me to share three short stories.

1.     My boss, the VP of Sales and Marketing, asked me to do a self-appraisal as part of my annual review.  Upon completion he invited me to lunch and asked for my work.  He quickly read it, initialed it and then asked me what I wanted to eat.  End of discussion.

2.     My boss, the company President, asked that I add the direction of a recent acquisition to my portfolio.  The acquisition was turning out to be a miserable failure and a real embarrassment for him.  After evaluating the management team (the former owners) I recommended their dismissal and the installation of a new team.  The President concurred.  I flew out early to be there for a Monday morning meeting with principals and then the staff announcement.  The President called mid-morning to ask how things had gone. Learning that the meetings unfolded as expected, he invited me to dinner.  I replied that I was 3 time zones away…but he stated that he too had traveled out west ahead of me and was therefore in position to celebrate the decision that he refused to make for three years.

3.     As the Canadian VP, I reported to a US based SVP of North America.  An executive realignment had me report to an International SVP.  Our Canadian business was unlike any of the other foreign divisions and this so intimidated my new boss that he took SEVEN MONTHS before reaching out to introduce himself.

 What’s my point? Simply, the title does not define the person. 

In difficult situations don’t expect a knight on a white horse to magically appear and make everything all right.  Our leaders are human and their weaknesses will be exposed under stress. As a leader, how should you respond?

1.     Never place the leader on a pedestal.  Respect the title; respect the responsibility and respect the person.  But never elevate them to a position which would disappoint you if they failed.

2.     Be the example for others even when that example is not being modeled for you.

3.     Seek mentors for support and strengthen your character by associating with those who are willing to build into you when your circumstances cannot.

4.     Determine for yourself if the failings of your superior are simply human shortcomings in a specific area or if they are indicative of a greater problem that is too toxic for you to accept.

5.     Disney is not writing the script:  no company or person has all the answers.  Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know.  Given that you recognize the areas of failure, how can you react to minimize the impact on your team and on your career?

6.     Finally, where are your weaknesses and what should you be doing to improve and to make a better contribution for your team.

Leadership isn’t easy, but keeping your standards should be.  Build a character that sustains in times of disappointment.