Spare The Rod (Blagojevich), Spoil the Boss?

Can this really be happening?  Is it possible that the Governor of one of the largest states in the country could have been so brazen to try and sell the Senate seat of the President-Elect?  Even more incredible is the fact that he did this knowing that he was already under surveillance for suspected wrong doing.  Arrogant, mentally ill or just plain idiotic?  Those questions are another topic altogether.  For now, let’s just say that this was another example of leadership gone wrong.  It is the same thing that we all witnessed with former Governor Spitzer of New York and the former Mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick.  But it not only happens with political officials, it can also afflict CEOs and other corporate leaders as we have seen in the recent Wall Street crisis.  As Lord John Dalberg-Acton once said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”.

Is this merely a function of the people who are attracted to leadership positions or is it more a function of what happens to people as they acquire more power.  Well, clearly there are many leaders who assume power and don’t allow it to, as my mother used to say, ”go to their heads”.  Therefore, I believe it is the latter.  So what differentiates these folks from those who become corrupted?  I believe it is the awareness of the ever-present possibility that power corrupts.  If leaders remain aware of this possibility, then they have a greater likelihood of controlling it.  Here are a few things that can help emerging leaders to remain aware.

• Develop and retain a group of trusted advisors who you know to be honest and not intimidated by you or your ascendancy to leadership.
• Seek counsel from independent individuals who have no stake in your position.  They will give you honest advice.  This can either be a Board of Directors or groups such as Vistage (formerly TEC).
• Keep open dialogue with those who work for you.  Although they may not always be honest with you, watch and listen for any indications of how they perceive you.  Often, when we grow into leadership positions, we lose sight of the fact that how people perceive us is more significant than the reality (or what we think is the reality).

Tags: HR, Leadership