| Thank you for being a Boek to Business subscriber. I believe that leaders are the solution to what ails us. They always have been and always will be. I also believe that leadership is a profession that can be tough. Our persistent focus is to make it easier and more satisfying for leaders to be successful. Relevance, top floor to shop floor, has been and continues to be our target.
Because sometimes a variety of small bites are more fun than an entrée (think Spanish tapas), I have been writing blog entries since January. Spontaneous quick reads that are unrefined, pertinent and provocative with the same intent of making the profession of leader easier and more satisfying. So in place of what has traditionally been the Leader’s Letter, take a look at the most recent blog post.
I invite you to read, comment, argue, and use whatever you can to improve your business and life as a leader. Our regular Boek to Business will be back to your inbox in May.
April 21, 2010: Give the Boss a Mulligan
WSJ Article today tells us there is a Workplace Bullying Institute and it reports that 27.5% of respondents said that ill treatment by superiors got worse after the start of the financial crisis. Ya think?
Ya think maybe business got a bit crazy for bosses over the past couple of years? Figuring out how to save a business dependent on bank financing, deciding which good people were no longer affordable, worrying about which big accounts receivable would not be received, key suppliers that couldn’t supply, investor calls reporting negative earnings and the list goes on. Excessive stress, sleepless nights, monster headaches, more scotch and emotions running high became the norm for many leaders.
Having families, suppliers, customers and investors depending on your leadership competence is a tough gig even in good times. The best leaders don’t flow uncontrolled negative emotion downhill. Still, we’re all human, give a boss a mulligan now and again.
On the other hand, I hate mistreatment of employees regardless of the level in the business or the cause (remember, with the exception of owner-operated companies, everyone is an employee). I'm reformed and have earned the right to say that it is a personal leadership failure when we allow persistent abusive behavior by anyone in our business regardless of the business results they achieve.
The American vortex of victimhood is a constant factor for leaders to consider. The word bully/bullying is a hot button that brings to mind teenage suicide and mass murders in schools. Words are frequently used inappropriately and intentionally to aggrandize a situation. It is a symptom of the sound bite nature of how we get information.
Some words when heard trump common sense and drive over-reaction rather than reasoned response. Bully/Bullying has become such a word. I’m removing it from my vocabulary. I’m the Outsider and that’s what I think.
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Best Wishes,
Randy Boek
ROUTE 2, Inc.
5400 Carillon Point
Building 5000, 4th Floor
Kirkland, WA 98033
425-359-8506
randyb@route2results.com
www.route2results.com |
