Every now and then, we sit shaking our heads in disbelief at the folly of leaders. News stories outrage us. Gossip on the street baffles the mind. Online updates tell a dark tale about leadership gone wrong. So, where is the personal accountability among our leaders today?
It would seem that there might be better wisdom implemented to avoid issues of impropriety. Other times you might think that there would be some discretion before an off-the-cuff comment is made. Unfortunately, this is not the case and there are perpetual instances of leaders making foolish unnecessary mistakes.
One way to rectify this is to mandate personal accountability. Is every leader taking stock of commentary before going public with it? Have the ideas been floated among staff, a legal team, or public relations experts? With just a few minutes of precaution, leaders can save themselves from random thoughts that land them above the fold in national dailies.
Another way is to learn from the foolishness of yesterday’s leaders. Certainly there are numerous examples of an under-the-breath microphone comment that is publicly broadcast. Or there are subtle jokes that just are not funny. Looking throughout history at business leaders, politicians, and public figures provides the savvy leaders of today with a blueprint to prevent such mishaps.
Finally, leaders today can stop with the grandstanding. In a culture that worships “winning” and “one-upping” the next person, there appears to be no glory in being the leader of integrity. Instead there is a running tally of showmanship and maverick behavior like never before. Has leadership become more about trouncing the other guy than being a willing servant to others?
When all this unnecessary foolish leadership is realized I hope our sophisticated leaders of today can take a step back. Before jumping into random conversations let us all take notes from the foolishness of others.
Dawn McCoy
Author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success
