Leadership Thought #282 – It’s Not Enough To Be Right
I have seen many talented leaders and managers get in their own way when it comes to getting their point across. They almost seem oblivious or indifferent to the vibe in the room and how people are receiving their message. You can be right, but you can alienate others if you are not careful. How you communicate can often be as important as what you communicate. Going all the way back to our grade school days, nobody likes a “know-it-all.” Arrogance is an unattractive personality trait. We all pay close attention to how those in positions of authority treat other people.
You are never successful despite other people, only ever because of them. Purposefully making someone else look bad or stupid is not an effective way to build a fan base. Not letting other people have their say or keeping them from voicing a different opinion ends up making them feel frustrated and resentful. Your colleagues want you to share the spotlight, not block them out. If you are the boss and your ideas are always the best, you either have a weak team or are stifling independent thinking and creativity.
Leaders need to appreciate that they always have an audience. Employees are watching your every move and behavior. They regularly make judgments about your capacity to lead. You are either cultivating a solid fan base or building a roster of critics. Once people have made up their minds about your character, it is hard to get them to change their minds even when you are right. You never become bigger by making someone else feel small. There are proper ways to disagree and challenge others. This doesn’t mean that everyone must like you, but they must respect you and feel you respect them as well.
It’s not enough to be right! All decisions require follow-up action, and unless you plan to do everything yourself, you need help with execution. You can use your power to force action now, but you won’t get the buy-in you need to succeed in the long run. In addition, no one person has the market cornered on innovative ideas or has the intellectual capacity and experience to best navigate every situation. It is not enough to be right. If you want to accomplish anything significant, you must persuade others to follow your lead.
Related articles
- Is Your Leadership Limiting Your Organizations Ability to Grow? (customerthink.com)
- Effective Leadership Skills – Dr. Matt Paese Reveals How to Improve the Way Teams are Managed (TrendHunter.com) (trendhunter.com)
- Arrogance (ladyzay.wordpress.com)
- Study: Arrogant Bosses Get Their Due (patspapers.com)
