Friends,
I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent more minutes than I’d like to admit railing about Mayor Kilpatrick and John (and Elizabeth) Edwards this week. My talk has been mostly – if not completely purposeless. I’ve just been part of the Greek chorus of outraged citizens. I don’t think I’ve enlightened anyone else or likely made myself more moral as a result. So, why write more? Well, here’s a really weird connection.
Every year the State of Michigan’s Office of Great Workplace Development does a survey of employees regarding the workplace culture. The survey asks “how evident” the values of Integrity, Excellence, Teamwork and Inclusion are. It asks this at five levels: in general, in departmental leadership, of one’s boss, of one’s co-workers and of the employee filling out the survey. Can you guess the consistent result? Who gets the highest rating? Why, the person filling out the survey!!! Over 90% of people say they not only demonstrate excellence but also show integrity, inclusiveness and teamwork almost always, or all the time. They rate their co-workers pretty well, their boss less well, their departmental leadership less, and the state government as a whole the lowest. The results are consistent across the four values and across all departments. Isn’t that amusing? And needless to say it makes NO LOGICAL SENSE: if each of us were so incredibly good then wouldn’t it have to follow that we’re pretty good as whole?
What’s the connection to Mayor Kilpatrick or Senator Edwards? It’s the human connection! We judge leaders harshly (those who ask to lead us invite that scrutiny), but they are just human and so are we. Their colossal failures distract us from our work – this crazy hard work of being a human being of integrity. As parents we teach love, but sometimes we’re not so loving. As bosses we expect communication but forget to communicate. As pastors (literally “leaders of flocks”) we proclaim God’s mercy but forget to trust and experience that mercy ourselves.
I can hardly imagine being in the painful shoes that these leaders have put upon themselves and invited us to tighten excruciatingly around their feet of clay. But in the end, you and I walk in our own shoes. There’s always a gap between the behaviors I preach and those I demonstrate. Maybe there’s some value to the madness if you and I gain a little more courage to see our faults and own them before we cause others and ourselves so much of the pain that flows from deceit of ourselves and those we lead, hopefully
With our best selves!
Dan
thanks Dan for your words, and thanks to all for the thought-provoking comments.
I find the two situations in question helpful reminders regarding how easy it is to state one’s values or ideals and how difficult it is to live by them.
this discourse gives me the opportunity to examine my own professed values, and see how often i am truly able to embody them.
I sometimes feel saddened when I read and hear local news reports about our leadership that sounds like tabaloid reporting. Also, I have a similar response knowing that it seems to gain much publicity. In other words, the news gains so much attention when it is focused on a person’s loss of
integrity. I now have lost trust in government leadership. I
also question if the bad news doesn’t say to the reader–”
maybe I am not so bad afterall”! I agree with you that we are
all human and vulnerable but can’t we start with that rather
than with judgments?
Hi Dan,
You’ve received a lot of great, thoughtful, constructive comments on your topic today. Good topic, well presented. I think you used enough dynamite there, Butch!
Tony “Sundance”
Thank you all for moving forward the initial outrage/betrayal hype to a thoughtful discussion re: integrity, respect and being/becoming the type of leaders we value and need. From all the comments it sounds like this was a much needed forum and one that we can and will learn for our collective future.
Well said Dan, and others! The only thing more sad than seeing senior leaders fall victim to their own poor judgement is watching how many people are willing to delight in their errors of personal misconduct. While very sad to see, it should certainly remain in their private lives.
You know I am an avid fan of surveying employees – one must expect subjective results from subjective questions. Discussing Values is important but it is like comparing religions – somewhat unempirical. A better survey, with applicable value in the workplace, may be one I used in the Dept of Military & Veterans Affairs for many years. From the National Institute of Standards and Training (NIST) website, entitled “Are We Making Progress?”. NIST encourages our use of it. A much more useful tool for the workplace!
While you do well to avoid religion and politics in your exhortations about leadership, the two in my view join the mix appropriately in this edition of your newsletter. I sometimes wonder if a pollster may some day find the common criminal enjoys more trust of the citizenry than most politicians. That’s the politics. That said, thank you for pointing out that (no matter our beliefs) we should “remove the board from our own eye before asking someone else to remove the stick in theirs”, or “you’ll be judged by the same measure you judge others”. There’s the religion. Perhaps we get so disgusted at times with politicians because they often hold themselves out to so incredibly fit for office only for us to learn they have failings, just like we do.
Let me start by saying that I must be critical of Elizabeth Edwards who said Hillary should not be nominated by her party. She said these words about one year after she knew about her husband’s extra-curricular activities. Yet, she said her husband should be president. She was championing his cause to be nominated even though he lied to us.
The mayor of Detroit should resign. Detroit has serious problems and the Blacks in Detroit must stand for something positive and not continue to back a negative – Kilpatrick.
Without question we have a crisis in leadership. The events we are witnessing are unacceptable betrayals of faith in those we have chosen to lead. In the matters involving Senator Edwards and the Mayor of Detroit we see two individuals who now seek repentance for their deceit, arrogance, and utter disrespect for the electorate and the public, generally.
Yet, as I comment on this public display of fraudlulent behavior, their guile and dishonesty continues as more about their lifestyle and contradictions of how they explain things get reported in the media. Nothing has appeared more loathsome in the coverage of these affairs as Videos of Edwards laughing with his paramour on the airplane to deliver a speech or the Mayor Of Detroit ignoring Court Orders.
What does this have to do with leadership? Plenty!
The Biblical recitation Of “He who is without sin cast the first stone” is simply not applicalble in the scenario I have been commenting on.These are grown and supposedly mature men who are Lawyers. They knew the kind of scrutiny they would be subjected to when they decided to run for office. Hell, even the Governor Of Michigan can’t go into the hospital without some tabloid creep trying to get her medical redcords.When you have no self discipline, are self centered, and egotistical with a lust for power and are in a leadership position and supposedly leading you necessarily create the calamity that is engulfing Michigan’s most populous city (and the state)not to mention the ill conceived debacle we now call the war in Iraq. Influential and very wealthy individuals, with the exception of Dave Bing who bankrolled the Mayor of Detroit’s Election have shown no courage to publically urge him to leave office. Many National Leaders were foolish enough to accept the word of the CEO of the USA to invade a country at will and not challenge his administraton on the facts they didn’t have and allow him to spend nearly a trillion dollars on one of the most inept American foreign policy blunders in the last One Hundred years. Are these these examples of the types of leaders we want the younger generation to emulate?
I am not an elected official so it may be easier for me to throw stones but I havent’t been persuaded that greed, duplicity, and conceit are characteristics that allow someone to LEAD WITH THEIR BEST SELF.
Jim
There’s a movie out in the past 15 years or so – I think it was called “the contender.” A vice-president vacates office, and the president nominates a female to be the vice-president. The entire (ficticious) senate hearing is little more than a “did you ever have an affair? Did you ever engage in x and such behaviour in college?” The VP nominee answers with the same dignity I saw in the Army-McCarthy hearing, “I do not respect your authority to answer that question.”
Wouldn’t it be refreshing if in real life, a policitican who didn’t have the affair, didn’t smoke pot at a concert, didn’t violate the law in whatever way, actually said, “Don’t bother asking me that, it’s none of your business.” Instead, everyone feels that they must flat-out deny, deny, deny. Some lie when they deny, and frankly, I’d rather not know.
Bill could have slept with anyone he wanted to – that’s between him, hillary, and to some extent, Chelsea. Similarly, John could have, too. I don’t care about how you treat your marriage; I care how you’ll treat my country. One does not evidence the other.
Who defines Integrity, Excellence, Teamwork and Inclusion? How does each respondent measure them? Maybe each one sets a different standard and has a different idea about what these abstract concepts mean in practical everyday life.
My guess is that the source of these discrepancies a huge failure to communicate perspectives leading to a lack of understanding of what everyone’s roles and responsibilities are, but who has time for that? We’re lucky to get our own jobs done, much less figure out what the boss is supposed to be doing. And if our subordinates are underperforming, whose responsibility is it to coach them into something more acceptable?
The whole concept of leadership implies that we place our trust in someone perceived to be “above” us somehow, in terms of knowledge, or education, or capacity, or moral behavior. Maybe we’re all mixed bags. Maybe we all expect more from each other than is humanly possible to deliver at the excellence level day after day after day. Maybe we could cut each other a little slack. Maybe we’re all just human, and subject to error, momentary lapses in judgment, poor decision-making…
…and, maybe we could take responsibility, as citizens. If Mayor Kilpatrick’s behavior is unconscionable, why not use the right of recall? Not enough people are ready to do this. They give up their power to the courts or the system, trusting it. Maybe we expect too much from these processes, too–not just expecting our leaders to be perfect. Maybe we fail to understand what highly-paid defense attorneys can do.
Dan, I love you but you’re killing me.
I apologize for not responding to your overall intended message as I was passionately opposed to your second paragraph.
“…Isn’t that amusing?
And needless to say it makes NO LOGICAL SENSE: if each of us were so
incredibly good then wouldn’t it have to follow that we’re pretty good as
whole?”
NO! NO! NO! A thousand times NO!
NO, it’s not amusing. It is sad. The people of the State of Michigan deserve better.
Dan, Dan, Dan,
You are expecting that individuals take it upon themselves to single handedly overpower a crusty, self sustaining, change loathing, culture that is decades old. Let me be the first to point out that is an unreasonable expectation. You made it sound as if we (State employees) are guilty of seeing the world through rose colored glasses and the one who is guilty of that is you my friend (along with OGWD). You have looked at the results of the surveys and totally missed what they (we) were telling you. If you care to ask an honest person or group of them (I have had this conversation with literally thousands of State employees), you will find that they do not honestly believe that they are “incredibly good” what they will tell you is they are allowing themselves some forgiveness and latitude because they are genuinely trying to do their best under less than ideal circumstances. They know that they are somewhat ineffective yet they are grading themselves on intention taking into account constraints that they feel they do not control.
The results also tell you that as they grade those who are most distant from them (up the chain) they are more and more frustrated with the politics, people acting in their own self interest, and overall lack of leadership as you and I define it. They are also agitated by their perceived inability to have influence and the lack of meaningful change.
If you want to fault them (us) it would be for having a “we versus they mentality” and not doing all that we can to make things better because it is much easier to blame those who are perceived as having more power and control. Thus we too easily give up self efficacy because we say we want positive change but “they” will not let us change, so why try?
What those surveys are telling you is that those people care, they want us to be more effective and they are incredibly frustrated. You and OGWD have only served to exacerbate their frustrations. You asked for their honest opinions, identified the problems, got them excited because someone appeared to be truly listening and then what? They have seen little change, except for more work with less resources. That said, it now appears that you are castigating them in a public forum for speaking the truth when you asked.
I know in my heart that you are better than this. It appears that you are implying that the survey respondants either have not thought things through or do not see clearly and you are wrong on both counts.
It appears that you have turned on the messengers because you didn’t like the message.
Your License to Lead is hereby temporarily suspended until you apologize to those hardworking yet frustrated people who had the gall to speak the truth. The majority of them are in fact trying to make this a Great Place To Do Great Work.
Peace.
Michael Montgomery
Hmmm. I think I was trying to say much the same thing. While I didn’t feel castigated, my communication didn’t come across as intended; poor delivery on my part.
I think the survey results as as plain as they seem. I think it appears to many that the values dilute as one moves up the chain.
Bluntly, when this administration came in, it was more trusted, respected, and strongly supported than others in recent memory. Better communication by its leaders was needed to prevent the erosion of that enormous good will.
I think Dan offered good advice to state leaders, regarding their own employees. They should be telling us WHY are we doing what we are doing, they should be asking what we think about what they did; and where time makes it at all possible, asking what we think about what they’re THINKING of doing.
And since state employees care, have the inside scoop on much, and spend a fair amount of brain power thinking about things, it has to be the straight story, or it will lead to greater frustration and disappointment.
Still with much optomism and respect, Clif.
Thanks for being open enough to expose yourself to this. It will make us stronger in the long run.
Clif,
Well, we have a challenge! Maybe you are right and that the further up you go, the more removed you feel. I have asked our Office of Great Workplace Development (see Michael, I really am listening) to read your and Michael Montgomery’s messages. The fact that you perceive it as such is important; it’s a place where perception becomes reality. Can’t be ignored.
I wrote a chapter in my book on a word I made up OOTL – “out of the loop.” I struggle with it in my own house. My kids get mad at me about it. It’s a constant struggle, and you and Michael have made the point again.
Thanks,
Dan
Today, Friday, August 15th, on the Oprah show, is the telling tale of a bankrupt corporate greed motivated system. I’m absolutely not one who touts Socialism as the solve all. Rather, the poverty being depicted on her show today, with a 15 minute segment focused on the poorest big city in the USA = Detroit…..well, I must say, the high ups have to start looking further around them than the Ritz Carlton entourage…..seing the problems where the rubber meets the road. Talking about resolutions, instead of acting on them, is just more useless rhetoric.Time to get out into the real world, and rely less on surveys……go survey it with your own eyes and hands.
Michael,
I appreciate your passion and humor (if not your removing my license to lead).
Dude, if I may be so informal, I think you’ve way misinterpreted what I have said. State workers are human. I am guilty of alleging them (including my wife, my great and respected friends in OGWD, and others) of being human. As humans – as tens of people have written above – we tend to see the cinder in another’s eye before the block in our own. State workers – high and low – are not immune from that.
There is a ton of great information in the state employee surveys, and at a statewide level we are looking at it quite seriously. Many department heads are really engaging around it.
I could write much more . . . but I’d miss my plane 🙂
Let me know when I get my license back.
D.
Dan,
As I read the last four weeks of readingforleading news letter it Dawned on me what a great forum this has become.
Thank you and please do not stop.
Sometimes I disagree with you or the various comments.
Sometimes I completely misunderstand what your saying.
Sometimes it hits very close to home.
Sometimes it encourages me because you like me are in constant flux of learning, experiencing, living, and trying to better those we lead, live with, surround us, and work for…..
AMEN.
Rick,
Very cool message. Makes writing and engaging worthwhile.
D.
p.s. I have made the mistake lately of reading some of the newspaper blogs. They turn my stomach. People – usually anonymously – vent and vent and spew. I am so struck with this week’s RFL blogging, and how much self-reflective work there is. It really gives me hope that people are direct yet respectful and doing their own work. As my friend Catherine Crowley says, “they’re saying what they mean without being mean.” Very cool.