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LEADERSHIP WIRED
John C. Maxwell's FREE Semimonthly Newsletter
Designed To Maximize Your Leadership Potential.
January 2007 - Volume 10, Issue 2
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In This Issue:
* Maxwell Moment Pride - A Leader's Greatest Problem
* Leadership@Large Restoring Respect, Loyalty
* Book Review Setting the Table
* Quick Quotes Self-Discipline
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Maxwell Moment
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Pride - A Leader's Greatest Problem
Pull a 10-dollar bill from your pocket, and you will see the face of Alexander H
amilton on the front. By merit of his accomplishments, Hamilton should be one of
our greatest national heroes. Consider his contributions to America:
Revolutionary War hero
George Washington s chief of staff by age 22
America s first Secretary of the Treasury
Co-author of The Federalist Papers
Creator of the Coast Guard
Designer of the nation s banking and finance system
Architect of a system of tax collection to bring revenue to the U.S. Government
Builder of the infrastructure for an industrial economy
Yet, despite displaying the greatest blend of legal, political, and financial kn
owledge of the founding fathers, Hamilton does not rank among the foremost heroe
s of our country s history. Why? Pride. Hamilton s self-importance and inability to
take an insult alienated those around him and sabotaged his career. His ego lite
rally killed him. Far too vain to patch up differences with fellow politician, A
aron Burr, Hamilton was shot and killed by Burr in a duel at the age of 49.
Pride A Leader s Greatest Problem
Before diving into the body of this lesson, I d like to credit my friend Dave Ande
rson, founder of LearntoLead.com. Many of his thoughts resonate throughout this
edition of LW.
I agree with Dave when he suggests pride is the leading culprit of managerial in
effectiveness:
There are many reasons managers fail. For some, the organization outgrows them. O
thers don t change with the times. Some spread themselves too thin and work long a
nd hard but not smart. Many abandon the priorities and disciplines that once mad
e them great and never get back to them. A few make poor character choices But all
these causes for management failure have their root in one common cause: pride.
In the simplest terms, pride is devastating. I m not talking about the pride one
has in their work or their accomplishments. I m indicting the pride that inflates
your sense of self-worth and distorts your perspective of reality. ~ Dave Anderso
n
There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. Good pride represents our dignity
and self-respect. Bad pride is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of concei
t and arrogance. When you look at the word pride, notice the middle letter is I . W
hen you are full of pride on the inside, it makes you stiff, stubborn, and creat
es strife with others.
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Leadership@Large
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Restoring Respect to a Leadership Role
As the United States mourned the passing of its 38th President, Gerald Ford, fon
d memories and kind words came like a flood from all who remembered him. Ford ha
d arrived to the Oval Office after Richard Nixon s deceit and dishonesty had robbe
d the Presidency of its honor. As President, Ford would face the daunting task o
f restoring respect to the White House. In doing so, he built a legacy as a heal
er, and left us with lessons on how to rebuild in the aftermath of a leadership
crisis.
1. Character Comes First
When a leader s moral failure forces them to resign, the biggest charge of the inc
oming leader is to restore the integrity of the position. In the wake of the sca
ndal-wracked Nixon administration, the United States desperately needed a man of
unquestioned character. Gerald Ford was precisely the man for the job. His unpr
etentious nature and civility were noted by political friends and foes alike. As
a testament to his stalwart moral fiber, President Ford s approval rating quickly
soared to over 70% upon taking office.
2. Cleaning the Slate Is Necessary to Move Forward
Whether being forced out due to moral flaws or poor financial decision-making, a
departing leader can leave hurt, pain, and resentment within an organization. T
he incoming leader must have the courage to clean the slate and offer a new begi
nning. Finger-pointing over past failures or the bitterness that comes from a le
ader s betrayal has the potential to shipwreck a company. The incoming leader must
be a catalyst for healing by erasing the lingering negativity of a prior leader s
meltdown.
With the unraveling of President Nixon s dubious activities in the Oval Office, a
dark cloud hung over the country. The nation s premier leadership position had bee
n tainted. With the impending trial of former President Nixon threatening to emb
roil the nation in a messy and prolonged media circus, President Ford made the t
ough decision to pardon Nixon of all wrongdoing. At the time, the pardon drew ha
rsh criticism and cost President Ford his popularity. However, in retrospect, po
litical analysts laud President Ford for bringing healing to the country by clea
ning the slate and allowing the nation to move past a painful chapter in its his
tory.
3. Coalition-building Restores Harmony
When a leader makes a mess of an organization and steps down, factions develop i
n the resulting leadership vacuum. Critics of the prior leader squabble with one
another over the best way to move forward. Cliques form within the organization
, and each lobbies to bring in a new leader who is sympathetic to their point of
view.
Replacing Nixon put Gerald Ford directly in the heat of a contentious atmosphere
. Thankfully, President Ford was renowned for his deftness in working with parti
es on both sides of the aisle. His open-mind and ability to put aside his ego wo
uld enable him build the coalitions needed to get the country back on track. For
mer President Jimmy Carter, Ford s opponent in the Presidential election of 1976,
commented on Gerald Ford s strength as a unifier, remembering how he, frequently ro
se above politics by emphasizing the need for bipartisanship and seeking common
ground on issues critical to our nation.
Summary
Cleansing the stains of an incompetent leader is never easy, but, as demonstrate
d by President Gerald Ford, the task can be done. By displaying strong character
, cleaning the slate of past mistakes, and building coalitions, a leader can cha
rt a fresh course into the future.
For more on the legacy of America s 38th President, Gerald Ford, visit the followi
ng websites:
Newsweek: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16365342/site/newsweek/
PBS: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/remember/ford/index.html
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2006/obit.ford/
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Loyalty
As schoolchildren, we learned to pledge our loyalty in solemn ways such as pinky
swears, exchanging friendship bracelets, or even becoming blood brothers. When ma
king promises, we demonstrated our loyalty with the phrase I cross my heart and h
ope to die, or we proved our sincerity by swearing upon our lunchboxes, action fi
gures, or baseball cards that we would honor our word.
Schools and clubs reinforced our understanding of being loyal. In the classroom,
we recited the Pledge of Allegiance to affirm our loyalty to the United States.
At sporting events we showed loyalty to our country during the national anthem.
We took the Boy Scout Oath or Girl Scout Promise to confirm our commitment to t
hose organizations.
As leaders, we still find ourselves asking for and pledging our loyalty. If we re
successful, we develop a bond of loyalty with the team we lead. We earn their tr
ust, and in return, they reward us with devotion and hard work. Loyalty can be a
powerful motivator to unite a team and spur it toward great accomplishments.
Yet, as great as loyalty can be, history s most tragic moments are painted with ha
rrowing pictures of blind loyalty. Consider these images:
Fiercely loyal to the Japanese Empire, kamikazes hurtled their planes into boatl
oads of soldiers.
In absolute loyalty to the Third Reich and its leader, Adolf Hitler, thousands o
f Nazi stormtroopers organized and ran concentration camps, committing the ugly
atrocities of the Holocaust.
Professing allegiance to Allah, Muslim fanatics hijacked airplanes and rammed th
em into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.
Out of supposed loyalty to the Christian faith, knights throughout Europe slaugh
tered innocent victims and plundered their property along their journey to the H
oly Lands.
In business as in history, loyalty is generally a blessing but can deviate into
blight. In an excerpt from the Wharton Leadership Digest, John Baldoni looks at
three dangerous ways in which leaders can abuse loyalty.
1. Loyalty as a Shield
Leaders can be tempted to surround themselves with yes men and women who display d
eep personal loyalty. By stacking their inner circle with comrades, leaders shie
ld themselves from checks and balances on their power. Once a leader s power is fr
ee from scrutiny, abuses are soon to follow.
2. Loyalty as a Bargaining Tool
Leaders who engender loyalty can flirt with the dangerous divide between motivat
ion and manipulation. Knowing the team will do their bidding, the leader may pla
ce undue burdens on their people. Similarly, the leader may become miserly with
compensation, incentives, and recognition, instead relying on loyalty to drive t
heir team s behavior.
3. Loyalty as a an Instrument of Personal Gain
A leader s loyalty to the organization can result in greater responsibilities and
increased freedom as trust is established with shareholders and board members. U
nfortunately, once a leader has earned the trust of major stakeholders, he or sh
e may abuse that trust for selfish gain. What began as a genuine desire for the
organization s well-being may be twisted into a hidden agenda of personal profit.
Selfless Loyalty
As John Baldoni writes, For leaders to embody true loyalty, they need to put the
needs of their organization ahead of personal gain. Selfless loyalty may translat
e into a leader s willingness to be the bad guy and sacrifice popularity for the goo
d of the organization. Or, the leader may need to invite accountability so that
he or she is less apt to wield power inappropriately. In the end, loyalty for th
e sake of noble principles and organizational excellence is well-worth the cost
of developing and safeguarding from abuse.
For more from John Baldoni on loyalty, visit the Wharton Leadership Digest at ht
tp://leadership.wharton.upenn.edu/digest/index.shtml#LOYALTY:__Virtue_or_Vice, o
r go to http://www.johnbaldoni.com.
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Book Review
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In the restaurant industry, where 60% of startups fail within three years, Danny
Meyer s philosophy of enlightened hospitality has vaulted him to the pinnacle of
his profession as a restaurateur. A native Midwesterner with a passionate palate
and a zeal for fine meals, Meyer has tasted success in New York by opening ever
ything from fine dining restaurants, to a barbeque joint, to a shack selling bur
gers and shakes. Meyer s book, Setting the Table, overflows with his infectious lo
ve for creating a superb dining experience.
Expert technical service is an established quality of Danny Meyer s restaurants, b
ut, more importantly, Meyer takes pride in how his guests feel when they dine. R
ather than repeating rote phrases of polite protocol, waiters at Meyer s restauran
t are trained to make observations that allow for a meaningful connection with d
iners. Readers will find value in Meyer s ABCD strategy (Always Be Connecting Dots
) and his commitment to turning over the rocks, which are explored in the book s fou
rth chapter.
Although deeply concerned about his guests, Meyer first expects his team to exte
nd hospitality to one another. To him, hospitality is a team sport and naturally e
manates from a restaurant when its employees uplift one another emotionally. Ins
tead of sticking with the old adage, the customer always comes first, Meyer puts a
premium on supporting his people, and they reward him with incredible performan
ce.
In reading Setting the Table, LW subscribers will enjoy a fresh departure from t
he analytical, research-intensive books on leadership. Instead, Danny Meyer offe
rs a candid account of his entrepreneurial experiences, highlighting the lessons
he discovered along the way to becoming one of the world s finest restaurateurs.
The book s style is reminiscent of the hospitable service you might expect at one
of Meyer s restaurants warm, unhurried, natural, and accessible. More intuitive than
analytical as a learner, Meyer presents simple word pictures and memorable stor
ies capturing the wisdom of his experiences. Whereas many leadership books get b
ogged down by weighty research or cumbersome technical terms, Setting the Table s
free-flowing style effortlessly delivers marvelous content.
At times, in his zest to tell a story, Meyer wanders through a forest of details s
auntering through remembrances of his favorite dishes and wines, restaurants whi
ch inspired him, and friends who helped him along the way. Yet, on the whole, th
e abundance of detail adds color and richness to Meyer s writing rather than distr
acting the reader from the book s message. To aid the reader, inserts sprinkled th
roughout Setting the Table draw out Meyer s key points and effectively pinpoint th
e best advice the book has to offer.
In writing, Setting the Table, Danny Meyer zeroes in on the make or break componen
t of the service economy: hospitality. Without it, service is sterile and busine
ss transactions are mundane, but when hospitality is done right, it strikes a ch
ord in the consumer and draws them back for more. LW subscribers wishing to harn
ess the power of hospitality won t want to bypass Setting the Table. The book make
s for a delightful read and is filled with valuable lessons from cover to cover.
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Quick Quotes
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Self-Discipline
The first and best victory is to conquer self.
~ Plato
It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.
~ Sir Edmund Hillary (first climber to reach the summit of Mt. Everest)
Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.
~ Jim Rohn