Making Leadership Decisions
All eyes were on him. As the new CEO, this was a watermark decision for his leadership. To be clear, the issue was not that of success or failure concerning the financial stability of the organization. In fact, on the big picture, it would be but a blimp on their revenue and expense portfolio. This was a culture call. The leadership team had made an internal change that affected all of the employees. The feedback from the ranks was that the employees were upset about one particular component. How this leader handled communication in the workplace would go a long way in defining how he would lead this organization in the future.
This is what he did:
- He listened to the concerns.
- He learned about the data and facts behind the emotional outcry.
- He consulted with those he trusted, including his leadership team.
- He developed a plan that addressed the concerns and walked back the original decision.
- He communicated to the employees that he and the leadership cared about them and that they heard their concerns.
It takes an incredibly strong leader to listen, learn and lead in that order. The result of the way this wise leader handled this internal dilemma will yield positive results that will undergird the culture of this organization. He could have "stuck to his guns" and the results would have been much different with a negative or even harmful impact.
The bottom line is that this leader put the good of his employees over his own ego. This type of leadership will go a long way toward building and sustaining a strong and healthy cultural environment within the organization.
Knowing when to walk back a decision and having the courage and humility to do so demonstrates integrity and strong leadership. Choose to put your team above your ego and you will make a difference!
Dr. Larry Little, CEO
