Leaders: Time to Wash Your Windows

Photo Credit Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2009

The Essential Leadership Question

What if every leader spent 2 minutes a day asking themselves one essential question. What would that all important question be?

Let me share the back story before we get to The Big Ask.

At a leadership event last week, the final presenter summarized the key messages of The Five Temptations of a CEO by Patrick Lencioni. He noted that this fable is an easy read, but, as all things which seem simple at the outset, the complexity surfaces in the urge to reflect on personal experiences related to the content. Reflection is fundamental leadership tool which unfortunately, takes a back seat to the daily grind.

Lencioni suggests that higher level leaders make authentic, consistent choices. He advises leaders to:

1. Choose results over status

2. Choose accountability over popularity

3. Choose clarity over certainty

4. Choose productive conflict over harmony

5. Choose trust over invulnerability

Results. Accountability. Clarity. Productive conflict. Trust.

Easy enough, but how do leaders really know that these are the standards they set for themselves: consistently, over time, authentically and passionately?

How do the people who follow them, repeat the mantra?

I could name a hundred leaders who fall into the category of “not” making these choices.

They have egos that drown out the potential of employee engagement in important projects.

Their need to be recognized by the community at large overshadows the white lies that cover up their accountability for financial decisions.

They do not listen to the part time staff person who deals with customers’ complaints, because “those people” with the gripes are only the minority. They let teams fall further into dysfunction because the surface story of the organization is covered in smiles and conflict is taboo.

They rarely say, “I was wrong” or “you are right”.

These leaders are stuck in their own blind spots. They might find more opportunities to wash their windows

- to really see the world around them.

On the other hand, I’ve been led by some of the best of the best.

Because of their leadership, I’m a better follower as well as a better leader. They’ve let me face the fire and go for “impossible” results;

held me to task when I offered excuses;

asked for the what and the how and the who instead of allowing a poorly executed strategy to be the starting point.

They have given permission for us to disagree, to engage in a productive conflict but more importantly, they have taught others to negotiate well and communicate clearly.

They have encouraged everyone to make mistakes, admit failures, discover breaking points, as well as to ask for help and support.

These leaders recognize their blind spots, and move toward self-discovery habitually.

?

So, possibly there is one essential question, if asked often enough, that would change how leaders lead.

Let me suggest this one as The Big Ask:

“Why should anyone be led by me?”

I’d like to leave that, with you.

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Maggie Chicoine specializes in “Strategies to Think Ahead”.

Maggie posts her MagOhZine blog weekly at www.theideasculptor.com

Her popular column, The Tuesday File, appears in www.lakesuperior.com regularly. Maggie is an experienced professional speaker, master of ceremonies and master coach as well as Lead Facilitator for Leadership Thunder Bay.

Twitter her @ ideasculptor or contact at 1 800 587 1767 or maggiechicoine@gmail.com

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