leadership ethics – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

What Do Your Motives Say About Your Leadership?

Posted July 27, 2017
by dougdickerson

“Men are more accountable for their motives than anything else. – Archibald Alexander

Bob Kuechenberg, the former Miami Dolphin great, once explained what motivated him to go to college.

“My father and uncle were human cannonballs in Carnivals,” he explained. “My father told me, “go to college or be a cannonball.” Then one day my uncle came out of the cannon, missed the net and hit the Ferris wheel. I decided to go to college.” To be sure, Bob Kuechenberg was motivated to go college and relinquish his future as a human cannonball.

In various ways, as children, we were motivated to get good grades in school or to do our chores. It often had monetary motivations attached to it. As adults, we have our motivations to perform well in our places of employment. We have the opportunity to move up based upon performance and other matrix and we are rewarded with the compensation that comes with it. Simply put, we all have our motivational tipping points.

You have heard the old expression, “check your ego at the door”. It’s sound advice for anyone in leadership. An unbridled ego can create a host of problems for a leader if left unchecked.

In as much as an unchecked ego can cause many problems, so too, can unchecked motives. A leader must be honest and come clean about overt or hidden motives that drive behaviors and actions. Before proceeding with your agenda, why not run them through a filter that will help you determine if your motives are pure. Here are six questions that will help you.

Would I support my plan or idea with the same level of intensity if the idea wasn’t coming from me?

This question is foundational and fundamental. An honest answer will shed light on the real motives you have. It’s not about who wins, it’s about the best idea winning. This is Leadership 101. Until you understand this, your hidden motives will always get the best of you.

Am I out to advance my own agenda and career or advance the good of the organization?

This is typically one of the driving forces behind hidden motives. When you seek the advancement of your own career and ambitions over the good of the organization then what is the real value of your service there? But when your commitment is to the good of the organization, good things will come your way. It all starts with your motives.

Am I territorial, making decisions that benefit me or my department over the good of the organization?

Leaders with wrong motives are all about making decisions that only benefit them or their department. Instead of looking at what is best for the whole team, they stake out their territory which leads to isolation and erodes trust. You will shine brightly as a leader when you are looking out for the best interest of everyone, not just a select few.

Am I guarded and reluctant to help others, or do I gladly share ideas and offer my assistance?

Your motives may be wrong if you are unwilling to help others for fear that they may outshine you, or get credit for something you shared with them. These motives are rooted in jealousy and insecurity and can openly expose your motives for not being a team player. A strong leader will gladly come alongside and help his or her teammates. It’s when you see yourself as colleagues not as competitors that you will have peak performance.

Am I manipulative, overbearing, and drive organizational politics in my favor, or am I a team player looking out for the best interest of everyone?

A leader with hidden motives can come across as overbearing or as a manipulator through office politics. They use this to further their agenda- be it career advancement or something else, they are master manipulators. A leader with nothing to hide is looking out for everyone and the good of the team. In the long run, people do not rally around a manipulator, but they will always respond to a leader who has their best interest at heart

Am I presenting myself one way in public, and another way in private?

Ultimately, this is where your hidden motives and agendas will catch up with you. It’s just a matter of time. Who you are will eventually come to light.

Here’s the rub – will all have our motives for doing what we do. Sometimes those motives are not very flattering while at other times they are good. The mark of your maturity as a leader and as a person is defined by constantly evaluating them, being honest with yourself, and only proceeding when you know they are in alignment with your core values.

What do your motives say about your leadership?

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Cracked Mirrors: Embracing Your Humanity as a Leader

Posted October 2, 2015
by admin

“Out flew the web and floated wide; The mirror crack’d from side to side; ‘The curse is come upon me,’ cried The Lady of Shalott.” (From “The Lady of Shalott” by Alfred Lord Tennyson)

We all enjoy reading the stories of the likes of Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, Steven Spielberg, and others who in spite of their setbacks and failures overcame their obstacles. The names and their accomplishments are too numerous to mention in this space. Suffice to say, all such stories are inspiring and serve as a source of encouragement and how that no amount adversity can overtake us if we persevere.

But I’d like to address a more personal issue as it pertains to our leadership. We are familiar with the personal characteristics of leadership that we strive for such as integrity, loyalty, trust, etc. But how do we reconcile our desire to live up to these virtues of leadership while embracing our humanity at the same time?

John Maxwell said, “A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.” And this is the challenge of personal leadership. The question is not whether we will fail, have errors in judgment, offend people, or otherwise not live up to our best as a leader. In short- we’re human. So here are a few tips going forward as you look at that cracked mirror of leadership.

Embrace your humanity

By embracing your humanity you are acknowledging that you are not perfect. As such you are also acknowledging that you are vulnerable and susceptible to shortcomings like anyone else. But this is not meant to be an “out” for bad behavior. As such you should have safeguards in place and surround yourself with trusted confidants to hold you accountable.

Be quick to forgive

Hang around in leadership long enough and you will come to know the value of forgiveness. As a leader you know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of criticism- fair or not. Life is just too short to hold grudges. In as much as you should forgive others their faults, be sure along the way to forgive yourself for the times you have blown it. And don’t be afraid to ask for it. When I understand the depth of forgiveness I need as a leader it’s much easier for me to look upon others through the lens of grace.

Keep the bar set high

That we as leaders may have come up short at times is no reason to lower the bar of excellence. Character still matters and striving to be better should be foremost in our endeavors. Don’t allow past mistakes to knock you off course. Don’t allow past failures to define you. Keep the bar set high and when you fall short don’t be discouraged. Your mistakes will overtake you only when you give up.

Walk humbly

Some might argue that walking humbly as a leader does not fit into the modern definition or understanding of leadership. Walking humbly is not abdicating your authority as a leader or otherwise exerting weakness. If anything, it’s the opposite.

Rick Warren said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” Walking humbly is living each day with an awareness of my humanity with the understanding of my dependence upon my faith to form me and my friends to complete me. It’s lived out when I realize the leader I want to be tomorrow is being shaped by my actions today. Do we fall short? Yes. But what we see in the cracked mirror is more bearable when we face the truth.

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Are You a Leader With an Identity Crisis?

Posted February 13, 2015
by admin

Getting in touch with your real self must be your first priority. – Tom Hopkins

A story is told of the renowned artist Paul Gustave Dore who lost his passport while traveling in Europe. When he came to a border crossing, he explained his predicament to one of the guards. Giving his name to the official, Dore hoped he would be recognized and allowed to pass.

The guard, however, said that many people attempted to cross the border by claiming to be persons they were not. Dore insisted that he was the man he claimed to be. “All right,” said the official, “we’ll give you a test, and if you pass it we’ll allow you to go through.” Handing him a pencil and a sheet of paper, he told the artist to sketch several peasants standing nearby. Dore did it so quickly and skillfully that the guard was convinced he was indeed who he claimed to be. His work confirmed his word.

It cannot be overstated how important your identity is as a leader. If you have a false sense of identity it will create a void in your leadership that will hurt you. Understanding your identity is Leadership 101 but if you don’t get this you will pay a price.

Are you a leader with an identity crisis? Here are three ways to find out.

You rely on your title instead of your values

This is a common mistake with new leaders. Leaders who do this tend to overplay their hand because they think their title or position carries enough clout to lead. This approach is an identity crisis waiting to happen. Here’ why.

When your values and character take a back seat to a title or position then it’s likely that you will wash out at some point. In, The 5 Levels of Leadership, John Maxwell states, “Your values are the soul of your leadership and they drive your behavior.” And this is the crux of your identity. Better to hold tight to your values than try to muscle your way to the top without them.

Key takeaway: In the end, what defines you as a leader is not your title or position; it’s your character and values. Whenever you confuse the two you are having an identity crisis.

You rely on rules instead of relationships

Leaders who rely squarely on their title as a means to enforce their rules tend to miss the big picture about relationships. Its been said that rules without relationships breeds rebellion. And when you are more concerned about dictating rules and regulations than you are about building relationships then you are a leader with an identity crisis. Here’s why this matters.

People tend to follow leaders they like and respect. If your people only see you as the office Sherriff and not someone they can relate to on a personal level then you are depreciating your potential as a leader. At the end of the day your people want a leader they can relate to not one that they fear.

Key takeaway: When you are heavy on relationships you can be light on the rules. Now you can devote your time and energy to what matters most – your people and your shared success.

You rely on receiving instead of giving

The magnitude and duration of your identity crisis in leadership is contingent upon learning these basic tenants. In short; it’s not about you. The depth, length, and reach of your leadership will never be measured by what you receive but by what you give. Here’s why it matters.

Leaders are givers. True leadership is about reproducing and raising up more leaders – not more followers. When this truth comes to light it creates a paradigm shift in your thinking, your actions, and your motives. J. Donald Walters expressed it this way, “Leadership is an opportunity to serve. It is not a trumpet call to self-importance.” Do the math: Creating more followers is about addition. Creating more leaders is about multiplication.

Key takeaway: Be generous. Don’t measure your success as a leader by accolades or plaques, but by how you invested your time, talents, and treasure in the lives of those you served.

What do you say?

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