I appreciate that there are many capable, well-intentioned people who work on both sides of the aisle in our political system and I mean them no disrespect. However, I think most people would agree that if our political system is not broken, it is at least in a state of serious disrepair. As a result, it’s a great model for how not to lead.
If you want a strong, financially viable organization, do the opposite of these standard political behaviors:
Don’t waste time articulating a vision.
What’s the point? After all, a vision requires consensus about where we are headed as a group. It requires common purpose. If you think that you will be diminished by working for the common good, then by all means, put your energy into day-to-day disagreements and quarrels that polarize points of view and diminish productivity.
Create a culture of distrust.
Be sure to diminish people with differing points of view. This is an effective way to shut down dialogue and ensure that ideas won’t be subjected to scrutiny. It has the added benefit of making employees tow the line out of fear.
Don’t bother with the truth if it doesn’t suit your (special) interests.
By all means, tell people what they want to hear. That’s the key to being popular. Who wants to hear things that make them uncomfortable? By the time the truth comes home to roost, you’ll probably be gone and the company may be too, so don’t worry about engaging in truthful, candid dialog.
Be sure to avoid follow-through and execution.
Remember, it’s all about telling people what they want to hear (rhetoric). If you concern yourself with follow-through and execution, you’ll probably have to confront some unpleasant truths and make unpopular decisions. That’s not in your best interest if you want, first and foremost, to be popular.
I’m obviously having some fun here. But in all seriousness, there’s a pattern to what’s wrong with our political system and it has something to do with short-sightedness and narrow-mindedness.
If you’re always focused on the next election, you tend to tell people what they want to hear, tear down the opposition and avoid addressing the hard stuff. Apparently, this is what wins elections in a broken system.
Do the opposite
Fortunately, in business we don’t have to run for office every few years. So we can – and should – focus on ensuring both near and long-term financial viability and success for our organizations. With that goal in mind, the following are the requisite steps to achieving long-term financial viability and stability in any organization:
- Have a common vision for your company and make sure that every employee understands and shares it. In the highly competitive environment we find ourselves in today, a shared vision is critical.
- Create a culture of trust. To attain long-term success, you need strong teams and a collaborative work environment. Nobody should worry about the consequences of speaking up as long as they do it respectfully and with the goal of continuous improvement.
- Communicate openly and honestly with your employees. Be candid about issues that drive performance even if it means taking a “tough love” approach or sharing negative news. Communication is a leading indicator of future performance. Companies with highly effective communications are also highly effective at overcoming obstacles, at innovation, at creating jobs and future opportunities as well.
- Make follow-through and execution a priority. Act with the appropriate sense of urgency in addressing problems, obstacles, inefficiencies and opportunities. Highly effective organizations don’t let things drag on…a delayed reaction impacts jobs and growth.
- Have a budget and live within it. I’m pretty sure I don’t need to explain this one to us commoners.
In the end, it’s not your rhetoric but your record that counts.
