Leadership really comes down to a simple single issue. If it is all about you, no one will follow. If it is all about serving others and a purpose higher than us, people will join your team.
Decades of scandals in companies, non-profits, and government have eroded our faith and trust in leaders. At the heart of every one of those scandals was a self-serving individual who decided that what they want and need was most important. They did not worry about the integrity and image of the organization, the careers and families of those who will be hurt, or the trust placed in them. A leadership position was simply an excellent opportunity to enrich themselves, wield great power, or achieve fame.
Who you hire today could be your leadership in the future. It is the most important decision the organization will ever make. Resist the pressure to fill the position which has been vacant too long with the wrong person. It will only cost employees and customers in the future far in excess of any value this employee provided.
Organizations need to recruit, hire, train, evaluate, and promote based upon integrity. Their culture must be defined by character. Every aspect of the organization, from policies and procedures to training and professional development, must always be all about their values.
Many studies employing different data and metrics confirm a multi-decade decline in adherence to shared and time-tested values in the nation. Companies, non-profits, and governmental agencies can only hire from the culture that they inhabit. However, they can carefully identify and recruit, retain, and promote only those whose fidelity to honesty and high ethical standards is without question.
The foundation of all leadership development in any organization must be an unwavering commitment to ensuring devotion to virtue and moral excellence. All mentors and leadership development strategies must continually emphasize the importance of character.
If integrity explains who we are, what we do, and how we do it, the organization will succeed and endure. If a lack of character is the culture of the company or agency, it will ultimately fail even if it takes time to do so. Leaders are responsible for that culture. It is the DNA of the organization.
Leaders who consistently and authentically demonstrate integrity can change history and the world.
Sources: Abrashoff, 2002; Blanchard, 2011; Collins, 2001; Drucker, 2001; Grant, 2017; Kotter, 2012; Lencioni, 2012; Maxwell, 1998; Welch, 2005.
#LeadershipLessonswithDrSaviak
