Becoming a respectable leader (4)

A leader has lost nothing until he loses credibility. Arguably, the leader’s greatest asset is his word. When his word stops being his bond, his position becomes valueless. Integrity and trust are the nerves of meaningful relationships. To be respected, it is important to be Believable. A leader with credibility problems does not deserve to be described as a leader. The moment followers lose confidence in a leader and his ability to keep his word, he loses their respect. As I have had cause to iterate on this page in time past, leadership is not a popularity contest. The leader’s drive is never to be liked but to be relevant. This may sometimes mean stepping on toes, not caring whose ox is gored, in the pursuit of corporate outcomes. This is however not from a Machiavellian perspective that sees people as mere tools for achieving a personal mission. What makes a leader believable? It is his iron-cast commitment to an ethical code driven by adherence to unassailable core values. Values are to a leader what rails are to a train. Commitment to them guides his strategy, conduct and direction. They decide for him the areas where compromise – read flexibility – is possible and where it is impossible to yield grounds. People’s perception of a values-driven leader varies from arrogance, toughness, rigidity to the other extreme of kindness and empathy, depending on the values system of whoever is dealing with him. Whether he acknowledges it or not, a leader’s credibility is anchored on his spirituality, a factor that underpins his values system. When a leader with this underpinning gives his word, you can take it to the bank. With such a leader, you never find a Dr. Jekkyl and Mr. Hyde scenario that mirrors a split personality. He is the same person and his conduct is always consistent with his core values.  A leader without a consciousness of or subscription to a spiritual essence has no qualms with changing rules and goal-posts in the middle of a game as long as his personal interests are served.

Leaders earn respect when they can actually Lead and do so from the heart. And what better time to lead than in a period of crisis when options are narrowed and decisiveness is key. In a crisis, a leader’s response is critical. Does he fall apart, cave under the collective confusion engendered by the circumstances, wring his hand in helpless surrender to the crisis, throw tantrums or blame everyone except himself? Or does he step up to the plate, accept responsibility for the situation, apologize where necessary (especially where the crisis involves the interests of other people), fix the problem and go ahead to take and implement decisions that decisively address the challenge.

The notion in our part of the world that leadership is about cover-up and grandstanding when there is a crisis needs to be corrected. Leadership is not synonymous with infallibility. I am yet to see a situation in this country where a government apologizes to the people and resolves to remedy a policy gone awry.

Instead, what we almost always see is a spokesman of government coming up with a denial or a contrived construct of the event (even when confronted with superior evidence), and going ahead with soulless platitudes of how the agency is alive to its responsibilities bla bla bla… Recently, a customs officer shot a passenger in a vehicle over an argument around the sum of N5,000 demanded as bribe by the team of customs officers at a check point. Video evidence of the event was virally shared on the internet, such that even a fool would be able to piece what happened together. The spokesman of the customs service issued a most insensitive statement distorting the facts of the event and practically going ahead to literally exonerate the culprit while virtually inculpating the victims of that harrowing experience!

On the 24th of March 2015, Germanwings (a subsidiary of Lufthansa Airlines) pilot, Andreas Lubitz, who had battled depression and suicidal tendencies for a protracted period before his dastardly act, deliberately crashed Flight 9525 that snuffed life out of 144 passengers. This was the first fatal accident in the company’s eighteen-year history. Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa, in an emotion-laden voice in his first appearance after the incident, accepted responsibility, describing it as “our worst nightmare” and apologized profusely for the unfortunate event. He did not stop there. The airline offered free flights to victims’ family members who wanted to be as close as possible to the site of the crash. Three days after the crash, as a way of reassuring the public that a similar occurrence would never happen again in the airline, the management went ahead to make systemic changes that ensured that at least two authorized crew members must be in the cockpit throughout a flight.

Deputy Senate President: Who does the cap fit from South-West?

The profile of charismatic leaders is buoyed by an Enigmatic persona. This in no way means that he is shifty or ambiguous in any confusing way. If he were, it would be a dent on his leadership image. There is a mystique around enigmatic leaders. Hate them or love them, agree or disagree with them, but you cannot be indifferent to them.

A leader’s enigmatic outlook stems from his predictable unpredictability. Let me explain. Followers may never know what the leader would do or how precisely he would respond to a crisis. But one thing they all know is that he will respond as appropriate to the occasion. When it comes to decision-making, respectable leaders leave no room for second-guessing. An employee at Braskem Americas, a petrochemical company in Philadelphia, made a mistake that set the company back by a whopping $2million! The natural expectation of everyone, including the employee, was that he would be fired or heavily reprimanded and disciplined. But he was not!

In his reaction to the incident, this is what Mark Nikolich, the CEO said, “We want our employees to stretch. We want them to take risks. We accept that. It’s part of the learning process. And we don’t scold them, penalize them for taking risks within a planned delegation scenario. So we say, ‘This is core and you can make all the decisions on your own and call me if you need support. But in this area, I’d like you to stretch yourself. If you are not comfortable taking risks in that area, I want you to. You’re capable of it. Stretch yourself, don’t worry. I’ve got your back. I support you” Waoh! Who wouldn’t want to work with a boss like that!

What makes a leader R.E.S.P.E.C.T.A.B.L.E? Responsibility. Engagement. Sure-footedness. Purposefulness. Empowerment. Communication. Teachability. Accountability. Believability. Leadership. Enigma. A leader who manifests these traits does not demand respect. He commands it!

Now that you know, go and do likewise.

Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!