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#Post#: 24--------------------------------------------------
WHY leaders fail by Mark Sanborn
By: IMPACT360 Date: November 28, 2014, 4:21 am
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By Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE
Donald Trump, paragon of the real estate world,
files for bankruptcy. Richard Nixon, 37th U.S.
President, resigns the presidency over the
Watergate scandal. Jennifer Capriati, rising tennis
star, enters a rehabilitation center for drug addicts.
Jim Bakker, renowned televangelist, is convicted of
fraud.
In the recent past, we've witnessed the public
downfall of leaders from almost every area of
endeavor—business, politics, religion, and sports.
One day they're on top of the heap, the next, the
heap's on top of them.
Of course, we think that such catastrophic failure
could never happen to us. We've worked hard to
achieve our well-deserved positions of leadership
—and we won't give them up for anything! The bad
news is: the distance between beloved leader and
despised failure is shorter than we think.
Ken Maupin, a practicing psychotherapist and
colleague, has built his practice on working with
high-performance personalities, including leaders
in business, religion, and sports. Ken and I have
often discussed why leaders fail. Our discussions
have led to the following "warning signs" of
impending failure.
WARNING SIGN #1: A Shift in Focus
This shift can occur in several ways. Often, leaders
simply lose sight of what's important. The laser-
like focus that catapulted them to the top
disappears, and they become distracted by the
trappings of leadership, such as wealth and
notoriety.
Leaders are usually distinguished by their ability to
"think big." But when their focus shifts, they
suddenly start thinking small. They micro manage,
they get caught up in details better left to others,
they become consumed with the trivial and
unimportant. And to make matters worse, this
tendency can be exacerbated by an inclination
toward perfectionism.
A more subtle leadership derailer is an obsession
with "doing" rather than "becoming." The good
work of leadership is usually a result of who the
leader is. What the leader does then flows naturally
from inner vision and character. It is possible for a
leader to become too action oriented and, in the
process, lose touch with the more important
development of self.
What is your primary focus right now? If you can't
write it on the back of your business card, then it's
a sure bet that your leadership is suffering from a
lack of clarity. Take the time necessary to get your
focus back on what's important.
Further, would you describe your thinking as
expansive or contractive? Of course, you always
should be willing to do whatever it takes to get the
job done, but try never to take on what others can
do as well as you. In short, make sure that your
focus is on leading rather than doing.
WARNING SIGN #2: Poor Communication
A lack of focus and its resulting disorientation
typically lead to poor communication. Followers
can't possibly understand a leader's intent when
the leader him- or herself isn't sure what it is! And
when leaders are unclear about their own purpose,
they often hide their confusion and uncertainty in
ambiguous communication.
Sometimes, leaders fall into the clairvoyance trap.
In other words, they begin to believe that truly
committed followers automatically sense their
goals and know what they want without being told.
Misunderstanding is seen by such managers as a
lack of effort (or commitment) on the listener's
part, rather than their own communication
negligence.
"Say what you mean, and mean what you say" is
timeless advice, but it must be preceded by
knowing what you mean! An underlying clarity of
purpose is the starting point for all effective
communication. It's only when you're absolutely
clear about what you want to convey that the hard
work of communicating pays dividends.
WARNING SIGN #3: Risk Aversion
Third, leaders at risk often begin to be driven by a
fear of failure rather than the desire to succeed.
Past successes create pressure for leaders: "Will I
be able to sustain outstanding performance?"
"What will I do for an encore?" In fact, the longer a
leader is successful, the higher his or her
perceived cost of failure.
When driven by the fear of failure, leaders are
unable to take reasonable risks. They want to do
only the tried and proven; attempts at innovation—
typically a key to their initial success—diminish
and eventually disappear.
Which is more important to you: the attempt or the
outcome? Are you still taking reasonable risks?
Prudent leadership never takes reckless chances
that risk the destruction of what has been
achieved, but neither is it paralyzed by fear. Often
the dance of leadership is two steps forward, one
step back.
WARNING SIGN #4: Ethics Slip
A leader's credibility is the result of two aspects:
what he or she does (competency) and who he or
she is (character). A discrepancy between these
two aspects creates an integrity problem.
The highest principle of leadership is integrity.
When integrity ceases to be a leader's top priority,
when a compromise of ethics is rationalized away
as necessary for the "greater good," when
achieving results becomes more important than
the means to their achievement—that is the
moment when a leader steps onto the slippery
slop of failure.
Often such leaders see their followers as pawns, a
mere means to an end, thus confusing
manipulation with leadership. These leaders lose
empathy. They cease to be people "perceivers"
and become people "pleasers," using popularity to
ease the guilt of lapsed integrity.
It is imperative to your leadership that you
constantly subject your life and work to the highest
scrutiny. Are there areas of conflict between what
you believe and how you behave? Has compromise
crept into your operational tool kit? One way to
find out is to ask the people you depend on if they
ever feel used or taken for granted.
WARNING SIGN #5: Poor Self Management
Tragically, if a leader doesn't take care of him- or
herself, no one else will. Unless a leader is blessed
to be surrounded by more-sensitive-than-normal
followers, nobody will pick up on the signs of
fatigue and stress. Leaders are often perceived to
be superhuman, running on unlimited energy.
While leadership is invigorating, it is also tiring.
Leaders who fail to take care of their physical,
psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs are
headed for disaster. Think of having a gauge for
each of these four areas of your life—and check
them often! When a gauge reaches the "empty"
point, make time for refreshment and
replenishment. Clear your schedule and take care
of yourself—it's absolutely vital to your leadership
that you continue to grow and develop, a task that
can be accomplished only when your tanks are
full.
WARNING SIGN #6: Lost Love
The last warning sign of impending disaster that
leaders need to heed is a move away from their
first love and dream. Paradoxically, the hard work
of leadership should be fulfilling and even fun. But
when leaders lose sight of the dream that
compelled them to accept the responsibility of
leadership, they can find themselves working for
causes that mean little to them. They must stick to
what they love, what motivated them at the first, to
maintain the fulfillment of leadership.
To make sure that you stay on the track of
following your first love, frequently ask yourself
these three questions: Why did I initially assume
leadership? Have those reasons changed? Do I still
want to lead?
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