“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” – JFK
Last year, you may have heard about the University of Oklahoma’s (OU) former members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity making incredibly bad choices. These former members were filmed chanting a racist tune while on their way to a party. The leader of OU, President David Boren, took a strong stance against their actions and shut down the fraternity. Acting swiftly and taking a strong stance is something that we do not see enough in the world today. Too often, people are afraid to make a statement that might not be popular at the time, but President Boren’s actions should be modeled by other leaders. Leadership is about learning, and setting a good example, even if those two things come from a bad situation.
Leadership lessons come in all shapes and sizes. When was the last time your company’s president or CEO spoke to the company about the organization’s goals, mission, and values? Do you know where the leader of your company stands on important business issues? These are truths that should be out in the open, so that when a bad situation presents itself, the employees are not surprised by the actions of the leaders. Instead, everyone will know what to expect, and you will be creating a culture of doing the right thing; two positive lessons for the entire company.
As a company trailblazer, here are a few simple steps you can take from bad (and good) situations to make a difference and stand out as a positive leader.
- Be thoughtful – use documented decision-making processes that are objective and clearly explained. Using a systematic approach to dealing with challenges in the workplace will go a long way to gaining your employees’ respect and compliance.
- Be consistent and fair – Not only does inconsistency and apparent favoritism make you vulnerable to legal claims, it also goes against the “do the right thing culture” that we encourage you to build in your organization.
- Take your time – But don’t wait too long! Do not make decisions in the heat of the moment, but do not wait too long to issue a statement on important workplace situations or problems.
- Be respectful – Treat employees with respect even when making tough or uncomfortable decisions (such as terminations, demotions, and disciplinary actions).
- Promote learning – Leadership is about learning, as JFK said. Be a good example and show a desire to learn from your employees, your peers, your colleagues, and influential leaders. Support your employees in their own quest to learn and develop their skills and knowledge in the field. Encourage employees to attend conferences, take college courses, and participate in webinars when given the opportunity.
“The role of a great leader is not to give greatness to human beings, but to help them extract the greatness they already have inside them.” – J. Buchan