Leaders Beware!

There are three factors that can diminish or destroy relational circuitry in a New York minute. I call it BAD wiring. Betrayal, apathy, denigration, three most devastating factors that rip a team or organization apart from the top, down because it begins from the top, down. BAD wiring presents in many ways, some obvious like total betrayal, or misrepresenting truth, or tearing someone down publicly, and some not so obvious like dumping on people. When leaders dump on people, they create undercurrents that erode relational circuitry like mice eating away at electrical wiring in unseen places going unnoticed until the circuit breaks.

Comments like these are evidence that there is bad wiring, and that relational circuitry is in imminent danger. “Is he not aware that I have a life outside this place.” “Do I look like a trashcan designed to capture all the trash he wishes to ‘dump’ on me.” “I can be walking out the door and she’ll call me back in the office to unload something else on me that she doesn’t want to do, and what worse, at the last minute.” “I’ve tried to address it, but there is no use, she just won’t listen and keeps filling an already full plate.” “Truth is, SHE COULDN’T CARE LESS!”

These are just some of the myriads of one liner comments I have heard over the years while talking with people about their leadership experiences. What I learned as I reflected on my notes is that these comments speak more to a leader’s ignorance (blind spots, if you will), than incompetence though I know there are some exceptions, especially those who use the term “delegate” to validate the “dump” with a positive spin.

Wise leaders delegate with a purpose, all others dump! To delegate is to entrust and empower one to take responsibility for a task or project to assess their knowledge, skills, abilities, and capability to responsibly accomplish that project or task in a trustworthy and professional manner. Delegating is a means by which a genuine leader taps into a person’s potential. Wise leaders delegate equally to gain wisdom and insight regarding each team members patterns and potential all with the purpose of bringing out the best in their people.

Dumping, on the other hand, is a method a poor leader employs by creating a scapegoat that allows the leader to dump professional task and projects on. Sadly, this method provides everyone else the freedom to shift blame on the scapegoat, as well. I call it professional finger pointing. It is like running a thoroughbred horse in the Kentucky derby with six jockeys (projects/tasks) on its back expecting the horse to win. Pretty soon the horse (scapegoat) wears out and walks away, and the foolish leader is off to find another scapegoat. How ridiculous!

As a leader, now you know, so ignorance is no longer a factor. To dump is to destroy, to delegate is to build, question is, of these two, which one fits you?