Hypochrisy - the surefire way to lose your Leadership Brand
Great leaders bring a lot to the table - Their experience, their skills, and their ability to motivate and rally their organizations to achieve results. Such high performance has much to do with creating an environment of transparency and trust; an environment wherein employees open up, express opinions and take risks because they see their leader doing the same.
Such Leadership brand takes years to build. Such leadership brand requires consistency. You can act with integrity 99% of the time, but if your team spots that 1% hypocrisy, the trust disappears faster than you can say "follow me".
Currently, many United States citizens are completely disappointed with their leaders in Congress. Many of those leaders have passed great bills, have dedicated years in the service of their country, representing their constituents with integrity.
And yet...all those good ideals and actions are clouded by acts of hypocrisy; acts which wash away the trust they have gained over years of good work and ambition. Some examples of what their electorate sees:
Elected officials' chase for dollars and allocation of their time halfway through their elected term to gain re-election - how do you view a leader who is always perceived to be chasing their next promotion?
Election advertising campaigns that defy every rule of decorum - how do you view a leader who attacks, uses disrespect and harsh rhetoric to further their goals?
Participating in pension benefits and healthcare programs that exempt them from those received by the average citizen and which are exponentially more generous (as we speak, there is discussion about exempting Congress from Obamacare) - How do you view a leader who exempts themselves from tough decisions they make for the organization?
We don't tolerate it when we see it in the Leaders that represent us. Our people won't tolerate it either.
Leadership brand, like all brands, takes years to build and can be washed away by a few acts of hypocrisy. We see it all the time. Not because leaders inherently want to be hypocritical; rather, because walking the straight and narrow line is hard. It is easy to be distracted, to lose sight. it is easy to be tempted by that brass ring and not see the impact that your actions have on others.
Like anything worth having, maintaining your leadership integrity requires deliberation and hard work. Work to understand how you are perceived. Try every day to live up to the standards you set yourself.
Do your best and your leadership brand will shine.
Such Leadership brand takes years to build. Such leadership brand requires consistency. You can act with integrity 99% of the time, but if your team spots that 1% hypocrisy, the trust disappears faster than you can say "follow me".
Currently, many United States citizens are completely disappointed with their leaders in Congress. Many of those leaders have passed great bills, have dedicated years in the service of their country, representing their constituents with integrity.
And yet...all those good ideals and actions are clouded by acts of hypocrisy; acts which wash away the trust they have gained over years of good work and ambition. Some examples of what their electorate sees:
Elected officials' chase for dollars and allocation of their time halfway through their elected term to gain re-election - how do you view a leader who is always perceived to be chasing their next promotion?
Election advertising campaigns that defy every rule of decorum - how do you view a leader who attacks, uses disrespect and harsh rhetoric to further their goals?
Participating in pension benefits and healthcare programs that exempt them from those received by the average citizen and which are exponentially more generous (as we speak, there is discussion about exempting Congress from Obamacare) - How do you view a leader who exempts themselves from tough decisions they make for the organization?
We don't tolerate it when we see it in the Leaders that represent us. Our people won't tolerate it either.
Leadership brand, like all brands, takes years to build and can be washed away by a few acts of hypocrisy. We see it all the time. Not because leaders inherently want to be hypocritical; rather, because walking the straight and narrow line is hard. It is easy to be distracted, to lose sight. it is easy to be tempted by that brass ring and not see the impact that your actions have on others.
Like anything worth having, maintaining your leadership integrity requires deliberation and hard work. Work to understand how you are perceived. Try every day to live up to the standards you set yourself.
Do your best and your leadership brand will shine.
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