Leaders have the responsibility of trying to make things better. Almost always, it’s a heavy lift. H
ere’s one of my favorite definitions of leadership: The craft of moving others by influencing them to do things they would not do of their own accord, or at a pace which they would not undertake for themselves.
Leaders who fail to move organizations toward better futures often fall victim to one or some combination of the 4 DIS-es.
1) DIStrust – when leaders fail to gain the trust of organizational members or fail to foster a culture of trust in the organization.
2) DISrespect – when leaders signal lack of respect (overtly or covertly) it becomes a cancerous toxin in the system.
3) DIStancing – when leaders disregard feedback, ignore the viewpoints of the customers, or show favoritism to some (which implies disenfranchisement of others).
4) DISsonance – when leaders dishonor the time of others by allowing meetings to be ineffectual time-wasters and engagements with members to be superficial or off-putting.
As leaders, we need not delude ourselves into believing anything positive will ensue if we foster, or allow, those four DISsing dynamics to exist – or worse, to persist – in our organizations.
Get better. Every day. On purpose.
*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to www.nelsonwcoulter.com
Nelson Coulter
Nelson Coulter has held a lot of titles: rancher, educator, author, musician, entrepreneur, coach, mentor, consultant, and professor. He has coached, taught, and been published in many settings. He has served in public schools of all shapes, sizes, and contexts. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at Louisiana State University - Shreveport. His most cherished titles, however, are the ones not attached to career identity: son, husband, dad, and granddad.
