Monthly Archive for January, 2009

Some people automatically reject new ideas or feedback. It doesn’t matter what the idea is, it gets rebuffed. This is a version of the “not invented here” syndrome. People who have been around awhile may be quick to say, “We’ve already tried that and it didn’t work.” It’s not a considered rejection of the idea [...]

We can’t always create an environment in which upward feedback or input is readily accepted. Sometimes a leader feels threatened by direct confrontation or doesn’t value participatory processes. We may need to find ways that engage rather than alarm the leader when we want to challenge questionable ideas or behaviors. The problem is often the [...]

Feedback is given in response to actions taken. Input advises on actions being contemplated. Leaders do not need to solicit widespread input on every decision they make. But it is respectful and useful to solicit input from those who have responsibilities in the area that the decision will impact. If followers are to be responsible [...]

We need to give leaders feedback with the same care we prepare them for it. Poorly given feedback can be received as an attack rather than a caring act. The leader may strike back defensively, dissuading the follower from giving future feedback. Negative feedback must be clearly directed at the specific behavior or policy, not [...]

Feedback is the great mechanism of self-discovery. We take an action, watch its effects, and learn what works and what doesn’t. When we are young this mechanism operates brilliantly. As we develop and form our self-image, we start screening out feedback that contradicts that image. Preserving our internal sense of self becomes more important than [...]

Leaders occupy their positions because of some constellation of strengths. Many of these strengths are of great value to the organization. Other strengths may not be those the organization needs at this time, at least not in the intensity the leader is using them. For example, the organization may have benefited from great force of [...]

Followers who provide robust support for leaders are in a strong position to challenge them when their actions threaten the common purpose. Of the two broad areas in which we must be willing to challenge a leader—behavior and policies—the most difficult is behavior. It truly requires courage. When I joined a struggling nonprofit organization, its [...]

In the final analysis, a follower’s potential for influencing a leader will depend on the quality of relationship that has been developed between them. There is a certain paradox in building such relationships. On the one hand, taking care to build a relationship with the leader is a strategic move. On the other hand, relationships [...]

If leaders stumble, courageous followers help to pick them up and repair them. But we support a leader better when we practice preventive medicine. It is wise to get a physical checkup periodically even though we feel healthy. We look in the mirror daily and know generally that we are well, but a formal medical [...]

There is an African proverb: “When elephants fight it is the grass that suffers.” When pursuing an organization’s purpose, conflict will naturally occur. If managed well it can be productive. Conflict can also occur around ego issues, thinly masked in the guise of purpose. This is destructive conflict. When conflict occurs between two strong leaders [...]

The stress of leadership is high. It takes a physical as well as psychological toll. Drug or alcohol addiction is particularly problematic, but ulcers, hypertension, or migraine headaches can also interfere with a leader’s performance or be aggravated by pressures on the leader. Different types of illness have different durations and complications. Each poses its [...]