Leadership Thought #392 – Rise Above It
It is easy to be sucked into petty disputes and inter-office politics, but as the leader, you need to rise above it. You must never forget that your employees take their cultural cues from you. You are a role model! If you become enmeshed in office gossip, then so will they. If you use a divide-and-conquer management approach, they will do the same. If you treat people poorly, bad behavior towards others will become acceptable. If you have a short fuse, anger will become an acceptable management response.
I have been in enough companies now that if you give me thirty minutes with the leader and let me attend a management meeting, I will have a good feel for the culture of the organization. It isn’t hard to connect the dots. Most leaders are in a Shakespearean play or a Greek tragedy of their making. They can either elevate or lower the quality of dialogue and interaction in their organization. Trust exists, or it doesn’t. People will either admire their leader or speak negatively about them behind their backs.
Unhappy, divisive, and mean-spirited people will always exist in life. The good news is that strong cultures tend to surface and eject these people relatively quickly. As indicated, when one of these individuals emerges in your organization, you need to first look at yourself. How did you create the conditions that made this possible? As a leader, it is your responsibility to consistently elevate the standards for performance and behavior.
There will always be events outside the sphere of your control that affect your organization. In these cases, you can only react in the best way possible. If you believe you can meet any challenge and seize every major opportunity, your people will also. In most cases, internal strife and organizational chaos are self-created. We are what we tolerate and continually do. Don’t get mired or distracted by interpersonal dysfunction or counterproductive behavior. Rise above the fray and set a good example. Expect great things of yourself and others regardless of what happens. Be a leader people want to follow.
