One of my mentors sent me a note last week that piqued my interest and prompted a question that I want you to consider. As a leader, do you care about how those you're leading see you?
Does it matter to you whether they respect you or not? Or maybe you just don't care. Could it be that as long as everyone knows you're the boss, nothing else matters?
I wonder how many people who are managers of teams revel in the position that is conferred on them by their titles. They don't care how their teams truly see them as long as the people suck up to them.
Last week, an excerpt from a forthcoming biography was released by the author, McKay Coppins. This is the biography of Mitt Romney, a United States senator from the state of Utah. Mr. Romney had also just announced that he would retire after his current term is over in 2024.
In the excerpt, Mr. Romney recalled a 2019 visit that then President Trump made to the weekly Senate Republican lunch in the Capitol. The senators gave the president a standing ovation and were attentive and encouraging during his remarks. But as soon as Mr. Trump left the room, the senators all burst out laughing at him.
Mitt Romney is one of the very few Republicans who have always been critical of Trump. He voted twice to impeach him and have spoken out boldly about the need for his party to move on from the former president. But he also contends that he's not alone. He says that many of his senate colleagues share his dim views of Trump but are just afraid to say so publicly. In the biography, he shared the story about Trump's visit to the Senate Republican lunch to prove the point.
Now, I know that any story about Trump these days is very polarizing (especially in the United States), so my sharing this anecdote here isn't an attempt to disparage him. I simply use it to call your attention to two things:
A leader whose team laughs at them behind their back but who has no clue or just doesn't care. Are you that kind of leader?
A follower who is afraid of speaking truth to power because of the potential blowback? Are you that kind of follower?
In these scenarios, the leader either lacks the self-awareness to see how their team actually sees them or they could care less. As long as their people praise them in public and say good things about them to their faces, all is well in their delusional world.
The follower on the other hand lacks the backbone and strength of character to stand for the truth. They're afraid of what they would lose if they publicly speak or act in alignment with the values they hold dear.
Either of these people only seem to care about the optics. They're more concerned about appearances than the real deal.
What's more important to you? Appearances or authenticity.
You have the power to choose.