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 Bruce
McNicol
President
Leadership Catalyst, Inc.
Bruce McNicol has coached leaders all over the world how to become
the kind of leaders others want to follow. Bruce says one of the
most serious leadership issues today is that many leaders work hard
to develop their performance-based skills and competencies (what
they do) but neglect development of their character (who they are).
It not only hurts them but hurts everyone around them.
LifeChasers: What do you say
to those who insist that, to stay competitive, performance and the
bottom line must be their top priority, even if the people around
them and the work environment suffer in the process?
McNicol: It’s true--short-term--you
can use people, hit those bottom line goals and die thinking you
were successful. But when you meet the One who created you, He’s
going to say, "Sorry. That’s not success." Philippians
2:4 says, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests,
but also to the interests of others." This was at the core
of how Jesus built leaders. We must spend as much time developing
people as we spend on the bottom line. We may not be doing it because
of gaps in our character.
LifeChasers: Is there real-life
data to support this?
McNicol: The Center for Creative
Leadership did a 20-year study on of why CEOs fail. The #1 reason
was they couldn’t get along in relationships. All their "doing"
and performance wasn’t enough.
I spoke to a senior leader today who told me, "I’m all
about change and urgency. I force my people to get with my agenda
and often hurt them. I’ve broken their trust. What I get in
the end is compliance but not their best effort."
LifeChasers: What’s the
solution?
McNicol: A performance-driven
culture forces everyone to pretend to be competent in areas they’re
not competent because the bottom line rules. But in grace-filled
environments you’re free to declare what you can do and what
you cannot do, who you are and who you are not. It fosters a climate
of integrity where the truth can flow freely and where everyone,
including the leader, leads from his or her strengths.
LifeChasers: That’s a
tall order.
McNicol: It’s a process.
It starts with a leader addressing personal character issues. If
you’re a leader who is hurting people in some way, find one
or two people you can trust in your work environment. Ask them to
"protect" your character weakness while you work on it.
For instance, if you lose your temper in meetings, maybe they can
give you a subtle hand signal to alert you that you’re starting
to spiral out of control. They don’t control you. Rather, they
commit to protect your weakness in that situation.
I have people who do this for me with my impatience. As a result,
impatience is much less an issue for me now than it was 10 years
ago. Ultimately, learning to trust a few people will allow you to
influence and earn the trust of hundreds more people throughout
your life. The alternative is living a life far less than what God
designed for you.
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