5 Things Smart Leaders Never Say
Only fools say dumb things, intentionally. Think back to the last dumb thing you said. Did you think it was dumb, before you said it?
The dumb things you’ve said seemed smart at first.
5 things smart leaders never say:
- “I meant well.” Sincerely dumb is still dumb.
- “I didn’t mean to.” What’s the option? I meant to screw up?!
- “I’ll do it myself.”
- “Oh! That’s easy.”
- “I’m the boss.” Everyone who says, “I’m the boss,” isn’t.
(Check out comments from Facebook fans: “The dumbest things bosses say ______.”
4 ways to deal with dumb:
- Distance makes you dumb. The further you are from an issue, the dumber you are and the more you think you know. Distance give the illusion of knowing.
- Delay makes you dumb. Be dumb early. Ask dumb questions before you go too far down the road. The longer you wait to ask dumb questions, the dumber you become. You look dumb when you pretend you’re smart.
- Adding more dumb people doesn’t make you smart. When it comes to solving production problems, the people closest to the issue are smarter than people at the top. The more white shirts and ties in the room, the dumber the room gets.
- Talking makes you dumb – doing makes you smart. The people on the floor are working around the plans you made in the office. Everything becomes more complex and difficult when you move from talking to doing.
7 smart behaviors of successful leaders:
- Listen. Be dumb courageously.
- Build relationships.
- Develop yourself and others.
- Talk mission and vision.
- Build strong teams.
- Challenge people.
- Fuel urgency.
Bonus: work toward clarity and simplicity.
What should leaders never say?
What are the smartest things leaders do?
“We’ve already tried that. It won’t work.” It’s possible that’s true… but that sentence closes down the discussion. There are likely other angles worth exploring.
Thanks Karin. Cutting people off drains their passion and ends their engagement. Glad you stopped in.
Without a doubt, very well thought! Mustapha Tahir
Thanks Dr. Tahir.
Schindler said, “I could have done more”. Not an exact quote, but you “get it”. THAT Dude was a LEADER.
The opposite of dumb I suppose is SMART, not distance, delay, adding and talking in any form.
For me SMART starts and ends with being EPICALLY CURIOUS.
Second is knowing the way things are, are not the way things HAVE to be. Only stays that way if enough people agree to stick their heads in the sand. Shameful.
Taking regular inventory to see how things are going seems to make sense. Check how the strategies I am using are bringing me closer to my Epic Goals or not.
For me Contempt Prior to Investigation is the closet thing to the purest way to define dumb I have ever run across.
“There is a Principle bar none that is proof against ALL arguments, guaranteed to keep a man/woman in everlasting ignorance, that Principle is contempt prior to investigation”.
Herbert Spencer
You in everlasting ignorance? Here is a clue? If you are not insatiably curious, you might be a redneck! hehe
Taking stock……
1. 80% of employees not feeling the love at work
2. they steal billions trying to make themselves feel better
3. 97% of the worlds wealth is controlled by 3% of the folks.
4. 97% of people who start businesses online fail.
5. Some of Gods kids will die today from hunger and dehydration and diseases that COULD be avoided. TODAY
Are these OUR collective Goals? They ARE our results. Like them?
Not doing something about THOSE, TODAY….my second favorite example of DUMB, reading those 5 and doing NOTHING but sticking ones head in the sand. Shameful.
We CAN DO BETTER. We are allegedly Leaders here on this blog, right?
SP ps…..do not answer to me. I am just a questioning knucklehead, answer to your maker.
EA
Thanks Scott. Love the statement, “We can do better.”
No THANK YOU Dan!!!!
Thing is we cannot do better till we admit to our innermost selves we suck!!!!
Who among us is ready to admit complete defeat!
I Am, I did and then the possibility of finding a better way revealed itself.
I AM less than 1000 people away from changing to world to better.
I will persist until I succeed.
30 years ago I was given a gift, came with a debt.
What I AM about to do is MY GIFT back to God and his other kids for giving me my life back.
Either that or stick my head on the sand and ignore our world needs changing to better.
No other way. Got to take stock, evaluate this is not working. Figure out a better way.
SP
EA
Sort of dumb .. heard it many times. Nobody is 100 % , depending on circumstances
Thanks aheneghana.
Dumb comments can be a misconception, as sometimes others think it’s smart, depends which brain is on that day!
Thanks Tim. I’m wondering which brain you have on today? 😉
Good post, Dan:
I have unfortunately been guilty many times of opening my mouth at the wrong time and in the wrong way.
About 3000 years ago, the writer of Proverbs wrote: “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.
Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise: and he that shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”
A saying that has been attributed variously to Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, and Confuscius: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt”.
I like the expression, “Open mouth, change feet”.
Unfortunately, feet often leave a bad taste….
Thanks Marc. I hadn’t heard “Open mouth, change fee.” Love it. Been there. Done that.
Excellent!! There is also the phenomenon of the Mean Dumb Leader – the one who has indoctrinated everyone around them in to at best accept their dumbness and at worst affirm said dumbness. The Emperor, in these cases, will stroll sans clothes for a long, long time.
Thanks Jim. Your comment made me think about leaders who punish people for speaking up. In essence they train people to just go along. Helpful.
Dear Dan,
Leaders should never blame someone. They should not try to take credit. Instead they should give credit to others. In organisational context, leaders generally say ” I know it”, which may not be good indicator of good leadership. Leaders should resist using such sentences. Even if they know it already, they should pay attention to listen carefully. Additionally they should avoid making judgment based on inadequate information.
The smartest things leaders can do is to create platform where people can remember them even they have left the system. Leaders should not identify themselves by holding position but providing enough opportunity for others to hold position. They should ensure that holding position is to make people, opportunity and organisations better. Leaders create legacy and legacy is not short lived. It is lived for ever.
Thanks Dr. Gupta. When we say, “I know it.” or “I already knew that” we devalue others. The point isn’t that you know. It’s that they know and they are excited about it. It’s tragically easy to devalue others and, in so doing, take the wind out of their sails.
Another good post Dan.
There’s saying dumb things and then there are leaders who just don’t care.
Most of us can handle the majority of dumb things with humble people. What most of us have a difficult time swallowing are the leaders who just don’t care.
Do I get points for brevity today? (grins)
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Samantha. It’s really dumb not to care. 🙂
Love your observation about the people we can deal with.
A+ for brevity. Cheers!
Dumb things come out of a person’s mouth when they have been ruminating on them……. true leaders refuse to think dumb
Everyone has a right to their share of DUMBNESS as long as they follow it up with a shot of insight n learning!
Dan “Fuel Urgency” What do you mean
Sent from my iPhone
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Everyone has a right to their share of DUMBNESS as long as they … do not “abuse” that right
Thanks ilias. Free to be dumb…just don’t grovel in it.