All leaders fail sometimes. If they fail, they will often blame those boring reasons, such as strategic mistakes, inadequate marketing, threats from competition and technical mistakes. However, these are just the surface of the problem. All leaders have made the same fundamental mistake: succumbing to some temptation, thereby unnecessarily complicating the situation; Too much attention to certain details has damaged personal leadership.
Because leaders are unwilling to face and overcome these temptations, their actions will put the hope of organizational success at risk. Specifically, what temptations are we talking about? That is: choose status instead of work results, choose personal reputation instead of responsibility, choose correct decisions instead of clear instructions, choose superficial harmony instead of dispute, choose impeccability instead of trust.
temptations 1 : choose status rather than work results
For a manager, the most important principle that must be clear is to aim at results. However, in many companies, the highest evaluated manager often does not do so. Many leaders regard other things as more important than their work results. This represents the most dangerous situation in all kinds of temptations: hoping to protect their professional status.
However, the question is, how can a person become a leader of a company if he is not a "paranoid" pursuing results (from the book "Only paranoia can survive" by Grove, the former CEO of Intel)? For example, most CEOs were "paranoid" about results before they got the top job. Unfortunately, when they reached their goal and were called chief executives, many of them turned their attention to how to maintain their position.
The reason for this is that their actual goal in life is only to obtain personal interests. Standing on the peak of life goals, of course, there is only a slope to go. We can reasonably infer that once they reach the highest position, they will protect it by all means. It is for this reason that many CEOs and most managers make decisions to protect their interests or reputation.
What's more, they avoid making decisions that may damage their status. In fact, they are more inclined to reward those who are beneficial to their "self" than those who contribute to the company's performance. This raises a question: Do managers not understand that they will gain higher status and greater "self" satisfaction by focusing on making achievements? Yes, they understand that in practice, however, it will take a long time and a lot of work, and there will be too many dangerous episodes that may lead to loss of status.
The only way to overcome this temptation is to take work results as the most important criterion for personal success, otherwise, you can only retire from the leadership position. The future of the company you are leading is too important for both employees and customers. This is the standard that really determines your position.
Temptation 2: Choose personal reputation instead of responsibility
Why do some leaders sometimes fail even when they resist the temptation to protect their position too much? Because they did not make employees responsible for their responsibilities. This is a necessary condition for achieving results. At this point, leaders succumb to another temptation: to want to be popular.
It is human nature to hope to be welcomed by employees, but it is dangerous for leaders. Leaders can be "lonely". For most members of the company, it is difficult for the top leader to have more time to get familiar with everyone except those who report directly to him.
Those who report directly to the leader are usually about the same age and salary level as other employees in the company. Most leaders have become friends with these subordinates, and they often feel the same about their needs and shortcomings. Finally, due to the current huge task, the leaders and these subordinates have a feeling of "brotherhood".
Therefore, it is not surprising that leaders become hesitant when they need to tell those close to them that they have not met their expectations. This is not because they are too busy or too lazy, but because they are already difficult to face the dilemma that troubles "friends".
As a leader, we should strive to win the long-term respect of our employees and direct reports, rather than their personal feelings. Don't look at the employees who report directly to you as a group of advocates, but rather as the key persons who can fulfill their responsibilities and make the company achieve the expected performance. It must be kept in mind that if you fail, your subordinates will no longer like you.
Temptation 3: Choose the right decision instead of clear instructions
Why do some leaders sometimes fail even if they resist the temptation of protecting their own status and being popular? Because they succumb to another temptation: to make the "right" decision to ensure certainty.
Many leaders, especially those who like data analysis, want to ensure that their decisions are always correct. However, in a real world with incomplete information and uncertainty, this is impossible. Therefore, those who prefer accurate and correct leadership often delay the decision and cannot give clear instructions to subordinates. Their instructions to employees are vague and hesitant, and they hope that these people can find the correct answer in their work.
Therefore, the key point is that leaders' decision-making instructions must be clear rather than precise. Remember that if you take decisive action, instead of always waiting for more information, your subordinates can learn more. If your decision based on the information you currently have is found to be wrong when you have more information, then change the plan and explain it clearly to your subordinates. It is your duty to take the risk of making mistakes. For you, the real loss of mistakes is only your self-esteem. For your company, if you, as a leader, are unwilling to take the risk of making mistakes, the cost will be total paralysis.
Temptation 4: choose superficial harmony instead of dispute
Even if some leaders can overcome the above three temptations, they will sometimes fail because they are often dissatisfied with their decisions. This is because they do not make good use of the most convenient source of information: subordinates who report directly to them. Why? Because these leaders succumb to the next temptation, which is the desire for harmony.
Most leaders believe that it is much better for employees to agree with their decisions and follow the crowd than to oppose the decisions and have resistance. This behavior pattern is also a reason why leaders have been promoted to their current status. However, apparent harmony often limits constructive disputes, in other words, a heated exchange of views around a matter.
If there is no such dispute, the actual quality of leadership decision-making is often lower than the normal level. The best decision can only be made after all kinds of knowledge and views are discussed publicly. Not everyone's views and opinions are worthy of approval, but these factors should be carefully considered by leaders. After all the available information has been studied, the chance to draw the best conclusion will certainly be greater, not to mention that it obviously improves everyone's confidence in the final decision. This is equally important.
Inconsistent voices should be tolerated. You can encourage your subordinates to express their different views openly and enthusiastically. A noisy meeting is often a sign of progress, while a "harmonious" meeting is often a typical symptom of leaving important matters aside and not discussing them. During the meeting, you need to guard against and stop personal attacks, but your control should not reach the level of restraining everyone from exchanging key opinions.
Temptation 5: Choose impeccable rather than trust
Even if some leaders resist the four temptations of protecting their positions, hoping to be welcomed by their subordinates, making only the right decisions and maintaining harmony, they will sometimes fail. Why? Because even if leaders are willing to cultivate constructive disputes, subordinates may not be willing to do so. Why is this? This is because leaders succumb to the last temptation: the desire to become invulnerable.
Leaders are people who hold power. If colleagues or subordinates find their own mistakes, leaders will feel unbearable. Because they mistakenly believe that if employees can easily challenge their decisions, they will lose their authority.
No matter how hard these leaders try to push forward the constructive dispute, they are just asking for fish out of wood. Employees have no sense of security because leaders are unwilling to join the discussion. The result is that those directly under the leadership are keen to speculate on the opinions of the leaders, and only in the "convenient" time they symbolically argue with each other.
You should always actively encourage employees to challenge your ideas. You should trust your subordinates and entrust your reputation and "self" to them bravely. This is the highest level of trust you can provide as a leader. Your subordinates will be rewarded with respect and honesty, and will follow your example in treating their own employees.
The five temptations mentioned above should serve as "alarm bells" for leaders at any time to remind themselves that success often leads to a series of fatal behaviors. These behaviors are so hard to control, and changing them is so painful.