We had leadership programs running constantly, but when a decision had to be made everyone stepped back and waited for someone else to make a move.
Evidence of crises of leadership fill our news feeds daily. Yet leadership development, coaching, books and seminars are a growth industry.
With all this education, why aren’t we getting better decision making from our leaders?
The opening comment was made to me by a former executive of a major bank. I have no doubt the situation is the same in most big institutions.
This is what I think is happening:
- Lack of personal direction Instead of being guided by an internal compass aligned to corporate goals, quasi-leaders’ values are conflicted.
- Lack of personal consequences Apart from a few noticeable exceptions, quasi-leaders get away with bad decisions, or no decisions, many walking away richer.
- Fear When the going gets tough, quasi-leaders look to the past instead of the future.
Instead, we should expect the following from our leaders – and be selecting, training and supporting them accordingly:
- Values – that produce decisions that serve the company and the community.
- Accountability – acceptance of the responsibilities of being a leader.
- Courage – to make the difficult choices.
What do you think? What would you change?
About Susan Rochester
Susan is Senior Consultant and Coach at Aster HR. She also co-hosts the Work Wonders podcast with Angela Gauci. With over 20 years experience in consulting and coaching, Susan provides clarity and insights for our clients based on past experience and the latest research.
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