No Off Switch for Leaders
I have a good three years of experience working in the corporate world. I have over a year experience performing well in a rotational leadership program. While I am not yet a master of the game, I figure out how things work better every day. When I came across a post from Great Leadership entitled For Leaders, There Is No Off Switch, I immediately agreed with the post. As a leader, people are always looking at you. They will remember how you behave. They will see your strengths and weaknesses. Here is and Article Excerpt, written by Marshall Goldsmith from BusinessWeek:
Leadership Requires Restraint
Jim was giving Harry feedback on his recent behavior in a team meeting that had been viewed by some colleagues as inappropriate for an executive at Harry’s level. Overall, Harry was seen as a strategic genius, with an amazing business mind, who was also a little rough around the edges in his dealings with people. He was viewed as sometimes making off-the-cuff comments that could be unintentionally hurtful to others. Harry’s reaction to this feedback indicated that he believed some of his colleagues were being unduly critical.
“Welcome to my world!” Jim sighed. “If you ever want to become a CEO, get used to it. People are going to be listening to what you say—and watching how you act—in every meeting for the rest of your career. You should be thankful that you are getting this honest feedback—and that you are being given the opportunity to learn from it.”
Jim’s advice was dead-on. The higher up you go in an organization, the more people will be listening to your every word and interpreting your every action. And thanks to some bad behavior on the part of some senior executives and the bigger pay packages given to senior management, executives are under more scrutiny and face greater pressure than ever before. Read the full article here.
It is a challenge to not contribute to office gossip but in the end, it feels good not to be apart of the rumor mill. Not gossipping actually builds credibility. People realize you are a trust worthy when you do not talk about others. Although it is good to look at situations critically, biting your tongue can be a good thing. Take a step back, think your thought through to completeness, and then, offer constructive advice.
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Tags: Leadership, Listening, Management, Work
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February 27th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Yes, sometimes I find that the less you gossip, the less you are involved with your subordinates, and a “respectful distance” can actually help your credibility. It also keeps you objective when approaching the people you are in charge of.
February 27th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I definitely agree with the entire premise of your post, and especially this quote: “People are going to be listening to what you say—and watching how you act—in every meeting for the rest of your career.”
I think this is especially true when you compare working with peers in a college organization to co-workers at a job. One of the reasons it’s so hard for people of different ranks in a student organization to be friends is because in order to maintain credibility and authority, you have to always “act” like a leader. But acting like a leader means you may not fit in with your friends or the other members of the organization when they want to have a good time, kick back or talk freely about others in the group.
March 13th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Jennifer -
Thanks for referencing my blog, Great Leadership. You’re right, people will be evaluating you all the time, especially in rotational leadership programs. Inside and outside of work.
Some of the best advice I ever got was from a mentor who told me that when you’re faced with a decision, ask yourself if you’d be comfortable with what you did displayed in the newspaper (or 100 blogs) the next day. If the answer is no, then don’t do it. Or just think Elliot Spitzer.
Dan
March 14th, 2008 at 6:29 am
Dan- As usual, great advice.
March 31st, 2008 at 3:52 am
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