He got up and moved deliberately to the front of the room in what seemed like a scene from the movie Patton. After hearing one presentation and the beginning of a second where the managers complained about their products and lamented their lack of technology and the robust product capabilities of their competitors, he stopped the meeting. ![]() He held a regional sales review meeting where each manager was expected to present their sales forecast, where they stood against plan, and the supporting rationale. One story that I’ve told many times involves a new VP of Sales who had just relocated back to the U.S. The stories that leaders tell help to inform employees about what leadership considers important. Once identified as a development need, we worked together to help her be better able to filter emotional messages before acting…a fundamental trait of effective leadership.īeyond actions, the cultures of organization are shaped through the stories that leaders tell as well as the stories that are told about them. She had no idea that her behavior was then being modeled by most of her direct reports and the managers that work for them throughout the organization. For example, when the CEO met with her to talk about his concern regarding delivery dates or process interruptions, for example, she would immediately call a meeting of her responsible staff members and chew them out under the guise of identifying the root causes of the problems. One of the most significant behaviors that surfaced was her inability to filter negative messages. As a part of assessing her leadership style, I interviewed a cross-section of her direct reports and peers as well as a sample of key customers. Not too long ago I worked with the head of an engineering organization who reported to the CEO of a medium-sized software company. ![]() However, if a leader views mistakes as a natural part of learning, exploring, experimenting, and growing, then the result is an attitude that supports risk taking and innovation. If a leader takes the view that every problem could have been avoided and therefore when something goes wrong, " Heads will roll!" the resultant behavior will be one of blame and finger-pointing. Whether they realize it or not, all of this feeds into the cultural fabric of the organization.Īs I’ve observed, if a leader treats every unanticipated roadblock as a major crisis, so will his or her employees. Their shadow reflects what they deem important, how they respond to crises, deal with a disagreement, treat those around them, and behave in general. Many people, including many coaching clients with whom I’ve worked, seem unaware of the "shadow" they cast as a leader.
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