4 More Enemies of Vitality All Leaders Must Avoid
Leaders who suck the life out of people promote failure and embrace defeat.
The first four enemies of vitality:
#1. Distrust.
#2. Disrespect.
#3. Proper channels.
#4. Excluding the outside.
4 more enemies of vitality:
#5. Isolation: the message that others don’t matter
3 ways ineffective leaders practice isolation:
- Avoid the front-line. Hang with the upper crust.
- Mandate don’t communicate.
- Make policies when something goes wrong rather than using values as guides.
#6. Favoritism: discouragement for the masses. Energy for the favorites.
Leaders play favorites when they:
- Believe they’re above flattery. “… we have a craving for anything that makes us feel good about ourselves. We’ll go to great lengths to get positive feedback, … .” (HBR, July 2010)
- Give cushy assignments based on the brown-nose index. (Those who brown-nose the most are at the top of the brown-nose index.)
- Promote suck ups. The more someone kisses up, the more likely they are to move up.
Suck-ups get ahead because flattery works.
#7. Lousy meetings: insulting the brains around the table
Talkative leaders suck the life out of meetings.
Rule of thumb: The leader of any meeting speaks no more than 25% of the time. (15 minutes in a 60 minute meeting.)
- Assign agenda items to team members.
- Create discussion by asking everyone to give one reason why the idea on the table won’t work. Turn the tables and ask everyone to give one reason the idea should be adopted.
- Call on quiet team members. If the person is an introvert, give them prep time. “Wilma, would you prepare to address item #2 on tomorrow’s agenda?”
The worst romance is infatuation with the sound of your own voice.
#8. Cowardice: playing it safe is rewarded with advancement
Cowardly leaders:
- Can’t make decisions.
- Hide behind policy.
- Throw people under the bus.
Cowardly leaders suck the life out of people who want to get something done.
Which one of the eight enemies of vitality is most deadly?
What leadership behaviors suck the life out of people?
I have been in many meetings (far too many) when the approach you have discribed was used. Lost good and productive people in the process. Numbers 5-8 all spot on but #5.3, values a guide to sanity, when not followed leads to the obvious insanity experienced in some decisions.
Thanks Ron. I have to say that meetings is a favorite thing to hate. Most of us have wasted many hours in these ridiculous exercises in futility.
It’s time for leaders to reconsider the way they run and prepare for meetings.
Hi Dan,
On the topic of “Favorites”:
I’ve been thinking about my behavior as a leader with regard to “The Favorite Club”. I’ve questioned myself…do I show favoritism? Not as you defined in the 3 ways we show favoritism under #6, but perhaps in valuing opinions, perspectives, or feedback. However, I hope that my perception of my leadership (as it relates to favorites) is accurate: the “Favorites Club” has open tryouts every day. All you have to do is (insert established goals, service to Vision, etc.) to be a member and membership expires at the end of each day. Anyone and Everyone who demonstrates behaviors that move us toward our goals and serves our Vision are my “favorites”…the challenge is presented in the “60 / 40’s” or the “70 / 30’s”…,”they do what is self-serving 60% of the time (or worse)…
Season’s greetings Mr Rockwell.
When I read your article, I thought, great article, ‘wow’ along with ‘ouchie’, ‘hard-hitting’, so real.
There were 3 that initially stuck out for me – 5, 6 & 8. By process of elimination, I would have to say the most deadly would be number 5, even more so in today’s tumultuous society.
To answer your second question, a few that sprung to mind were ego, ingratitude, under acknowledgement, incorrect recognition or appreciation.
“Proper channels” are the bane of innovation and creative problem solving and are simply an alias for “status quo.” In fact, if you substitute the latter for the former you can see this quite plainly: “You new idea is fine, but it doesn’t take into account the ‘status quo’…”
Proper channels (regulatory compliance). Regulatory authorities expect things to be done a certain way, the same way, every time. All the boxes ticked, in the same way, every time. You can’t grow, build or add value, especially as mistakes are vigourously pursued and punished.
#8: Cowardice,
thought of as CRAVENNESS (gratuitous spinelessness) incorporates most of the other flaws under its banner (also known as “politically astute”),
has to be a finalist for most deadly to vitality since it is the most vampirish and banal.