The Bad B’s of Leadership
Bad leadership feels safe like baggy jeans and broken-in sneakers. Bad leadership has a baffling capacity to walk comfortable paths while the world changes.
Bold leadership, on the other hand, feels dangerous like learning to walk.
Bold leadership feels like almost falling.
The difference between safe and dangerous, bad and bold is:
- Declaring hopes. Unshared dreams don’t happen. If you want to get somewhere, tell someone where you’re going.
- Forgiving.
- Stepping out so someone can step in.
- Expecting more from yourself and others.
- Trying something untried.
- Developing untested skills.
- Admitting failure publicly.
- Trusting someone new.
- Accepting new challenges.
- Asking when in doubt.
No wonder there are so many bad leaders. Bad is benign.
Bold leaders step out with UNcertainty.
Bold leaders step toward the edge. Brash leaders mock the edge. Bad leaders are so far from the edge they can’t see it.
From bad to be bold:
- Let reluctance show you who you are. What’s in you that blocks your future.
- Reject notions of feeling competent. They’re overrated. You aren’t reaching high enough if you make it the first time.
- Make growth personal. Tie new skills and challenges to character. How does facing fear, for example, help you become who you want to be? What new character-muscles create your future.
- Imagine the new you before she emerges. Describe who you are on the other side of uncertainty.
- Rely on trusted advisers, mentors, and coaches.
- Continue moving forward – don’t fix failures – leave them behind. Think next time all the time.
- Role play in safe environments. Test your wings before leaving the nest.
What can you do that feels like you’re almost falling?
More bad “B” words for leaders:
- Belittle.
- Beguile.
- Baby.
- Biased.
- Baggage.
- Boring. (By the way, anyone interested in me isn’t boring!)
- Backstabbing.
- Bragging.
- Brownnoser.
- Bottleneck.
For a longer list of important “B’s” for leaders visit the Leadership Freak Facebook page (7/2/2013).
What good or bad B’s for leaders can you suggest?
Add important leadership words that begin with “C” on Facebook for tomorrow’s post.
Great stuff today Dan!!!!
I like Bombastic!!!!!
Even more would like Karin’s opinion of Barry Wehmiller’ People Centric Leaderhip and the 550 Billlion a year in lost productivity cause most people hate their jobs!!!!
How do they have 72% raving fan employees while the rest of us lunkheads have 70% disengaged people we as leaders are failing?
Yeah would love her take on that, very sharp woman, read her book I did so I have an informed opinion!
My C is a biggie where all bets are off! Close minded.
Cya,
SP back in!
Love Bombastic! I’ll see your bombastic and raise you a bodacious,
See why I like you so much Dan the Man!!!!!
I kinda like Bomastuc…..egomaniacal and all stuck up on yo-self !!!!
SP back into the fight for truth and justice for all!!!!
Bombastuc
What about Bullying? The most difficult work environment of my career involved a manager who bullied and intimidated her staff. Morale and productivity were so low people were taking demotions to escape!
Bullying never crossed my mind. Great add. Thanks for pointing out how bullying drags people down.
Well Cristal speaking just for me bullies suck!!!!!
Just so you know what goes around really does come around and eventually people get what they give.
Some call it karma, whatever it is I seen it!!!!
Just know those bullies got something way wrong going on inside them and they are hurting.
I been in AA meetings with Tons of former bullies. They are not getting out of living and treating folks that way unscathed.
Best thing for me is to do the next right thing right in front of me and serve others like I would have them treat me.
Take care.
SP back into the fight for truth and justice for ALL!!!! Hehe
It’s kind of funny – but when one thinks about it there are so many Bs that fit the profile. Words like Bumbling and Brazen.
Bumbling cuts both ways for me… there’s a certain charm to someone who doesn’t have it all together as long as they are sincere. ON the other hand, bumbling can cause other to lose trust and confidence.
How about befuddled?
Dan
Thanks for the post. I am in a real bold leadership time right now and needed these insights. Sometimes when the risk is high you wonder as a leader, if you’re on the right track or simply crazy. The post helped focus me on the task and continue to progress with courage and strength.
Awesome comment. Thanks for sharing your journey. I find that I regularly need boldness. The trick for me is being gentle and bold at the same time.
“Reject notions of feeling competent.” What a tough thing for anyone to do. Incompetence makes us either Bashful or Boastful. People shy away from the challenge or puff their egos to look better to others. Rarely are we Between these extremes and honest with ourselves and others. Thanks for the thoughts!
The best competence is the belief that we can gain competence.
Bleeding, as in the action of and outwards. That is bad leadership! I bleed, so you must bleed as well, I do like bombastic and bumbling also! Way to change it up on me, I was expecting more from the list, great use of social media to fill in the gaps and gasps! Oh, he didn’t even use the good b words!!! lol
If I’m bleeding I want you to bleed too. Is that like crap flows down hill?
Regarding the use of good words, Yeah, yesterday I got to thinking about it and it’s just natural for me to go the other direction. So, I went for the “bad.” I don’t even have to try.. I just do. 🙂 Perhaps a bit too much bravado.
must be runny to flow freely down hill!!! haha, but yeah something similar! lol
Dear Dan,
I appreciate and like the bad B of leaders as bottleneck. Bad leaders hinder everything. They bottleneck information, relations and organization growth. I feel this is the biggest bad of bad leaders. Additionally, bad leaders boast. They praise self in positive way. All their actions are centered towards their image building at any cost. They also bluster. They blow hard about their activities, concern and achievement.
Good of leadership is behaviour. Good leaders reflect behaviour that is responsible, ethical and right. People try to follow good behaviour of leaders. I think, good leadership start with good behaviour. And this behaviour start going better every day.
Thanks for boast, bluster, and my favorite from your comment, blowhard! 🙂 Love it .. I have to add bravado
Belligerent is another B for bad leaders. If a leader is hostile and aggressive to his or her followers, it will disrupt and decimate the morale and functionality of your subordinates. It is always nice for a leader to be calm and welcoming because this creates a serene work environment for you and your followers.
Good one, Baba.
I’m more and more convinced that steady calm is an essential leadership quality.