Leadership Betrayal: When Leaders Promise But Don"t deliver
Take These Wings & Fly
Most business people aspire to be leaders. It’s the pinnacle of their profession.
Why do we follow these people? We’re told that it’s because they can communicate. They reach our souls. They connect with us at a deep level of trust. We believe in their words and how those words make us believe in ourselves. We’re led to believe that:
Inspirational words = self-confidence = aspirational goals.
That may be true in some parts of life: motivational speaking and evangelical eulogizing come to mind. But leadership in business is more than talking and sermonizing. It’s more than infusing people with hope and sending them on their way.
Inspiring people with the excitement and vision of flight is figuratively uplifting until they step off the edge of a cliff. At this point they learn the hard reality of Leadership Betrayal.
Who Do You Trust?
Why do we trust people when they are painting us the “…too good to be true” picture? How have they convinced us that we can do something that hasn’t even entered our dream space?
Well, we believe because we not only believe in their words, but we believe in them. Their self-confidence can be overpowering, particularly when their leadership melds with hubris. We implicitly believe that their inspiration comes with their support. The Grande Armee believed in Napoleon because he was the first to charge into adversity. He painted the inspirational vision and then made the decisions to bring it into a focused picture.
When our leaders speak, we interpret this to mean that their ideas will be backed up with what we need to implement the grand new idea. There will be resources, supply chains, systems and controls, legal agreements and what ever else is necessary to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. And more than anything we expect to bask in the radiance of the leader as we work to change the world.
But what happens when the vision isn’t being achieved; when resources become scarce and the leader is out chasing a new shiny thing? Leadership Betrayal, that’s what. The vision is exposed as unattainable in the absence of the elite talents of the leader.
However, the leader sees it differently. They see that the subordinate has been empowered to make things happen – “…just like I would.” They lose faith in the subordinate and start to see them as a mere mortal – “…just another mechanic who can’t turn my ideas into reality. “
Does it have to end this way?
A “Re-set” on Leadership
Is there a problem of leadership betrayal in your organization?
Is there a pattern of inspiration and stagnation followed by bitterness? If so, then you have been infected with leadership betrayal. The gap between leadership and betrayal comes in three forms:
How do you reverse this trend? Training the leader can be tedious and repugnant to them. Finding a trusted lieutenant – Gates had Balmer; but the operative word is “trusted.” Who can you trust when the issue is potential betrayal? When will internal politics overcome the good intentions of the lieutenant?
The best way to guard against Leadership Betrayal is to support leaders with structure. That may sound like an oxymoron; however, even leaders have to learn to create within established guidelines. Here are a few critical points where you can protect your leaders:
Leadership is a rare quality. Support it. It should never result in betrayal.
Most business people aspire to be leaders. It’s the pinnacle of their profession.
- They start out as “individual contributors” where they get results though skill, raw talent, and force of will. But individuals don’t move mountains
- Next they learn the mechanics of management – planning and controlling. Their ability to get results augments exponentially; but there is a limit. They can only get results through resources they control, like the people they actually “touch”
- Finally they come to understand that transformations, the big bangs, come through leadership – that mystical ability to inspire and excite others to do extraordinary things. “I have a dream…”; “ask not…”; “reach for the sky…”
Why do we follow these people? We’re told that it’s because they can communicate. They reach our souls. They connect with us at a deep level of trust. We believe in their words and how those words make us believe in ourselves. We’re led to believe that:
Inspirational words = self-confidence = aspirational goals.
That may be true in some parts of life: motivational speaking and evangelical eulogizing come to mind. But leadership in business is more than talking and sermonizing. It’s more than infusing people with hope and sending them on their way.
Inspiring people with the excitement and vision of flight is figuratively uplifting until they step off the edge of a cliff. At this point they learn the hard reality of Leadership Betrayal.
Who Do You Trust?
Why do we trust people when they are painting us the “…too good to be true” picture? How have they convinced us that we can do something that hasn’t even entered our dream space?
Well, we believe because we not only believe in their words, but we believe in them. Their self-confidence can be overpowering, particularly when their leadership melds with hubris. We implicitly believe that their inspiration comes with their support. The Grande Armee believed in Napoleon because he was the first to charge into adversity. He painted the inspirational vision and then made the decisions to bring it into a focused picture.
When our leaders speak, we interpret this to mean that their ideas will be backed up with what we need to implement the grand new idea. There will be resources, supply chains, systems and controls, legal agreements and what ever else is necessary to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. And more than anything we expect to bask in the radiance of the leader as we work to change the world.
But what happens when the vision isn’t being achieved; when resources become scarce and the leader is out chasing a new shiny thing? Leadership Betrayal, that’s what. The vision is exposed as unattainable in the absence of the elite talents of the leader.
However, the leader sees it differently. They see that the subordinate has been empowered to make things happen – “…just like I would.” They lose faith in the subordinate and start to see them as a mere mortal – “…just another mechanic who can’t turn my ideas into reality. “
Does it have to end this way?
A “Re-set” on Leadership
Is there a problem of leadership betrayal in your organization?
- Do leaders communicate big ideas?
- Do the ideas get implemented or do they atrophy?
- Do others follow or fade away?
Is there a pattern of inspiration and stagnation followed by bitterness? If so, then you have been infected with leadership betrayal. The gap between leadership and betrayal comes in three forms:
- Attention. Followers love the glow from their “sun king” leaders. If the leader energizes and then abdicates then the inexperienced follower will feel abandoned and lose energy.
- Talent. Sometimes leaders have special talents that evade followers. Some people sell better than others; while others raise capital where it can’t be found. If the follower can’t match up to the leader’s uniqueness then performance will suffer as frustration and disappointment set in.
- Resources. Even the most resourceful followers can only go part way to the goal in the absence of what they perceive to be adequate resources. Asking for resources turns into whining that leads to defeat.
How do you reverse this trend? Training the leader can be tedious and repugnant to them. Finding a trusted lieutenant – Gates had Balmer; but the operative word is “trusted.” Who can you trust when the issue is potential betrayal? When will internal politics overcome the good intentions of the lieutenant?
The best way to guard against Leadership Betrayal is to support leaders with structure. That may sound like an oxymoron; however, even leaders have to learn to create within established guidelines. Here are a few critical points where you can protect your leaders:
- Vision. The vision is the energizing starting point. By definition it can’t be precise; however, it must be founded in the discontinuities of change that surround the business as well as one of three business values: service to customer; quality products/services; or respect for the innovative talents of employees. Which is the primary driver and is everyone on this page?
- Migration Path. The vision gets clarified as the idea passes along stages and through gates. Challenge each milestone by defining “what’s in and what’s out.” Then agree on “what you have to believe” to achieve the milestone – what are the underlying assumptions. It’s only at this point that you can reasonably assign resources, and understand where they are needed the most.
- Competence. Use a structured process to choose those who will be charged with implementing the leader’s vision. You want people who have proven they can manage for results and lead people. Don’t ask a technician, or your brother-in-law, to be Steve Jobs?
- Reward. This is the gorilla in the middle of the room. A leader’s grandiose vision usually implies a grandiose reward. Be careful, not every idea results in a promotion or short-term wealth. The quickest road to betrayal is the one that overstates the reward.
Leadership is a rare quality. Support it. It should never result in betrayal.