#954 With Great Power Comes...

Great ego, some rudeness, little empathy, less cordiality, and separation from reality.  Unless, of course, you're tuned in.

This is a dreadful trap lying in wait for anyone who has power over anyone—parent to child, teacher to student, manager to line worker, or CEO to team leaders. 

Too often, folks in power get lazy.  They stop trying to earn the trust and respect of those around them.  They think they know what they're doing, so explaining themselves seems superfluous.

They get into a staccato communication rhythm, telling instead of talking, emailing instead of calling, sending memos instead of meeting.

The higher you go, the easier it is to get snared in this trap because the higher you go, the less challenged you are by those you manage.

I was speaking with a business owner who was looking for answers.

During our talk, he told me that he hasn't got time for all this sugarcoating.  And he can't understand why people can't just hear the assignment and do it.

He also can't understand why his attrition rate is on the moon and recruiting, in his specialized community of professionals has become all but impossible.

Regardless of deadlines, client pressures, 60 hour work weeks, and sleep deprivation, taking time with people you instruct will lighten the load and stretch time in your favor.

This goes along with "an ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure", but it's often ignored because it's intangible.  Add that precious few leaders get any real feedback, and you can see how this trap is so often sprung.

In any position of leadership, it's important to check yourself.  Seek feedback from someone who hasn't got a horse in the race or create a culture where the feedback loop from bottom to the top feels safe for folks in the trenches.

The emperor's new clothes was published in 1837, yet it's still read today. 

Don't step into a trap.  Step up to a mirror first.

Own Your Sales Gene…