When Leaders Fail
Leaders fail, sometimes . . .
When Leaders Fail, Who's To Blame?
One time I was invited as guest speaker to a Rotary Club luncheon meeting, and gladly obliged. I delivered the talk entitled Reflections of a Leader, which I believe was well-accepted by the attendees, especially those who are leaders of their organizations.
The talk was followed by an open forum and a healthy discussion on leadership issues. One particular question came from a former CEO of a multinational firm, and goes this way:
“Leaders (managers) of the organization are provided training to equip themselves in handling their responsibilities. There are quite a good number of programs they attend, locally and even abroad. After a period of time, however, it seems that they lose focus and fail to deliver expected results. What can you say about this?”
When leaders attend development programs, they are presented with some scenario and given strategies on how to deal with them – ideally. At the end of the training, they emerge fully energized and feel they can conquer the world – equipped with some tools that they learned. Back at work, it’s easy for them to lose focus in the maze of deadlines, quality concerns, and the myriad of operational issues and challenges – they are now facing the actual situation.
This, is Harsh Reality for Leaders!
In every organization, there’s what we call “hierarchy” of positions. Several leaders are placed in various assignments and are expected to focus on areas specific to their assigned functions.
At the top of this hierarchy is the “orchestrator,” the “maestro” who makes sure everybody plays to the same tune. This person at the top provides overall direction and becomes the “North-Star” to guide everyone in the team to follow one direction, a singular aim, the main objective.
When things don’t happen as expected, perhaps it’s time to look at the leaders, the "men-on-top." It is expected that when people below go off-center, it’s their duty to call them back to the center; when they get lost, proper guidance is in order; when they lose focus, they must come in to refocus.
This, I believe, is his main responsibility being placed at that level of the organizational. And when things don’t happen as expected, perhaps it’s time leaders ask some deep-searching questions upon oneself: Have I provided the needed guidance? Have I given the necessary directions for everyone to follow? Am I congruent, and focused, not just in my words but more so in my actions?
This is the essence of . . . Reflections of a Leader . . . the ability to look upon oneself when things go wrong, to take accountability for the results that happened, to assume responsibility for the outcome yet to come.
I hope some of the self-reflection questions above disturbed the peace of leaders, and provide them with the inertia towards self-improvement.
Be well, and lead well.
ReyM
The Leaders’ Ladder
MaP Consulting offers HR and management consulting and mentoring. Email rmisoles@yahoo.com for detailed info.
Like ice cream, leaders come in different flavors. Which one are you?
