3 Simple Steps to Keep Your Leadership on Track

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If you watched Major League baseball circa 2001-2010, you might be familiar with the phrase, “That’s just Manny being Manny.” It was a common refrain to refer to the on- and off-field antics of Manny Ramirez, coined by the Red Sox outfielder himself. 

Whether it referred to a stellar play or pushing a Red Sox staff member, “Manny being Manny” was a viable explanation. 

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase? 

For me, there is a way in which it both celebrates his greatness as a player, and simultaneously dismisses any culpability or responsibility on his part for his actions. 

And therein lies the rub. 

He diminished some of his own pre-eminence and credibility as a player and leader on the team, by repeatedly dismissing his poor behavior. 

Does this sound familiar? We’ve all seen leaders who aren’t accountable for their actions and may still be celebrated for unique skills, knowledge, or results they’re able to achieve. 

As a leader, this can help you or hurt you. 

On the plus side, if you’re steadfast in your beliefs and consistent in your actions, it can signal a strong display of your values. And knowing your values is critical. They serve as guardrails and guide decision-making. 

Values help people understand what you stand for, eliminating confusion about what you expect from them and what they can expect from you. (They’re also an anchor in the Leadership Fluency Framework, but more on that on another day.)

Conversely, digging your heels in can work against you if you use it as an excuse to shrug off bad behavior because you’re too afraid, stubborn, or proud to admit any wrongdoing. (That concludes the tough love portion of today’s newsletter…) 

This brings me to Identity, which is one of the five anchors of the Leadership Fluency Framework. Knowing who you are and what defines you as a leader, creates a strong foundation for your leadership. Yet so often, leaders don’t take the time to reflect on who they want to be. 

Every day, each of us gets to decide what qualities we want to espouse, how we want to engage with others, and how we want to show up in the world. 

  • Are your actions values-driven? 
  • Does fear determine your behavior? 
  • Are you on auto-pilot or intentional about how you show up? 

There’s not necessarily a right or wrong here. There are, however, different outcomes. 

If you’re not sure you’re displaying the type of leadership you aspire to, here are three quick steps to help you clarify:

  1. Check your motives. Ask yourself what thought process is truly behind your actions, decision, or perspective. Oftentimes, when we get honest with ourselves, an answer emerges that’s different than the answer we started with.  
  2. Phone a friend. Reach out to a trusted advisor and gain an objective perspective. Push yourself to reach out to someone who will challenge your thinking and not agree with you just because they like you. 
  3. Ask for input (then listen to the answers.) Your decisions and actions impact others. (Queen of the Obvious.) Leverage your curiosity muscle and check in with people impacted by your decisions and behaviors. Try to ask questions that start with “What” or “How” to get more robust responses. 

Here’s a question for you. If people were to say, “That’s just [your name] being [your name],” does the connotation behind it reflect the type of leader you want to be? 

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