David Lewis, co-author of The Pin Drop Principle, told me he was exposed to poor leadership when he was in his early twenties.
“Back then everything was a race and all that mattered was the numbers. In that context customers are statistics.” Lewis explained.
It’s been over a month since our conversation and I’m still thinking about the damage poor leaders wreak on others. David said, “They didn’t teach me the importance of working together.”
It’s about attitude:
In politics, Bill Clinton said, “It’s the economy, stupid.” In leadership it’s the attitude, stupid.
Lousy leadership begins with self-protective attitudes not lack of skills, intelligence, or talent.
Lousy leaders:
- Need to know more than others.
- Can’t explore for fear of being wrong.
- Won’t ask obvious questions for fear of looking dumb.
- Need their egos stroked.
- Wonder who’s out to get them.
- Fear high performers; they need the spotlight.
- Struggle to collaborate.
- Won’t change their minds.
- Feel isolated and alone.
- Sacrifice long-term success for short-term profits.
Lousy leaders can’t serve others because they serve themselves.
Hope:
All leaders screw up. But great leaders possess right attitudes even when they fall short.
- Humility.
- Optimism.
- Curiosity.
- Endurance.
- Tenacity.
- Compassion.
- Responsibility.
Leaders matter most when they help others learn to help others.
Lewis said he’d learned that “success is not just about the numbers.” It’s a challenging statement because numbers matter. Skill, talent, and intelligence also matter. Attitude matters most.
What bad attitudes do bad leaders possess?
What leadership attitudes do you most admire?
