Earned, Gained and Lost – Unlocking the Dividends of Respect in Team Building

Franklin D. Roosevelt, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, General George Patton, and Winston Churchill: Leveraging Respect in Leadership (Source: Wiki Commons)

Great leadership talent exists in times of peace as well as crisis.  However, extreme conditions demand that everyday people become extraordinary.  Some of the 20th Century's greatest leaders were proven in the crucible of the Second World War.  Political leaders like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth, Josef Stalin, Chaing Kai-she, and Mao Zedong faced the challenge of motivating their nations to sacrifice comfort, money, and time to support the effort to free their countries from external threat.  Meanwhile, military leaders like Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, George McArthur, Charles de Gaul, and Georgiy Zhukov faced the prospect of motivating their troops to risk their lives in defending their homeland, many going willingly to certain death.  What was it in these people that motivated their followers to risk all to follow them?  There are several motivators in the leader's toolbox.  However, only one - love and respect - has the power to motivate people to give their all willingly and gladly to fulfill the leader's vision.

While all these leaders undoubtedly motivated their nations using the soft power of patriotism, love of homeland, and charisma, their overall approaches varied significantly.  The Soviets and the Chinese resistance to foreign domination augmented the carrot of patriotism with the very large stick of oppression.  Many Soviet soldiers heroically advanced to certain death without a glance backward, but there was, nevertheless, an added motivator to keep them going forward, the People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs or the NKVD.  The Soviet soldiers well knew that while going forward meant near certain death, they knew that chances of survival were greater advancing toward the German lines than retreating into the hands of Stalin’s security forces.  They also knew that surrender was not an option, not only in the sense of General Ivan Panfilov’s words, “Before us lies death, behind us Moscow.  There is nowhere to retreat,” but also Stalin’s threat that the family of any soldier surrendering to the enemy would be sent to the Gulag.  While patriotism in the Soviet Union was undoubtedly high, fear of State imposed consequences for less than full obedience was also a big motivator.

However, the British and Americans took a different approach.  Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats and Winston Churchill’s speeches on radio and before Parliament were voices of hope in the darkness of war.  Using the power of their own personalities and love of the homeland, they steeled their nations without the need for penal battalions and NKVD enforcers. 

Leaders have numerous tools for motivation at their disposal.  They can lead from the front, motivating their people to succeed by their example and devotion to the ideal they represent, or they can threaten from behind, forcing subordinates forward through fear and intimidation.  While the soft power of respect and positive motivation requires sustained effort, it nevertheless provides much greater dividends.  We are willing to go to greater lengths for those we love and respect than for those we fear.  A dog beaten into submission will bite back at the first opportunity.  People are no different.

Respect is necessarily backward looking as its Latin roots show.  We see its root in spectator and spectacles.  By adding the re- prefix, it takes on the meaning of looking again or looking back.[1]  In meeting someone, their perceived potential plays a role in building respect, but it this is only transitory.  It is the accumulated effect of their actions over time, viewed from the clearer perspective of the present, which builds respect.  Hence, we follow leaders for reasons tied how we see their past actions – if they have proven themselves worthy of our respect.  Hence, there are various motivators based on our past interactions that motivate us to follow or not follow our leaders.

Consequently, the motivation to obey our leaders falls into four basic categories.  The first and most primitive is fear of punishment.  Although General Dwight D. Eisenhower cautioned against this approach to leadership by pointing out, “You do not lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not leadership,” pain avoidance can motivate.  Nevertheless, fear does not inspire one to excel and does not build effective teams.  Rather, it builds resentment and mistrust.  Working out of fear, we do only what is necessary to avoid the leader’s wrath, and the suspicion fear breeds can drive a wedge between members of otherwise effective teams. 

The second category involves rewards.  Pay, bonuses, performance awards, and promotions are common examples.  Promised rewards are probably the most widely used form of motivation, especially in Western meritocracies.  While rewards are an effective and important part of any leadership plan, they are not the whole answer. Although incentives motivate, they do not necessarily inspire or build team cohesion since the effect lasts only as long as rewards continue and competition for recognition or material rewards can fragment teams. 

The third motivator is duty.  Although of a higher order than the base inducements of the first two, it still does not necessarily inspire.  Many of us would go to work out of duty and do what is expected of us, even giving up some of our comfort, but this still lacks the ability to inspire us to willingly sacrifice more than the leader asks or duty requires.

Inspiration truly comes into play only in the highest order of motivation – love and respect.  Eisenhower defined leadership as, “the art of getting someone else to do something you want done – because he wants to do it.” As the top military commander, Eisenhower had the positional power and broad authority to punish those who did not obey his commands.  However, he preferred to use his soft power to influence his men and women.  They respected him and knew he respected them in return. 

General George S. Patton also understood this principle and the need to lead from the front.  While notorious for his temper, his men nevertheless followed him out of respect and because he respected them in turn.  His leadership philosophy was, “Do everything you ask of those you command.”  Patton lived, fought, and suffered with his men, and they, in turn, were ready to follow him to the ends of the earth.  His wish to be buried among them in Luxemburg in a grave marked by a simple white cross, identical to those marking the resting places of his men who valiantly followed him to their deaths shows this devotion. 

Luxembourg American Cemetery and Patton Grave

(American Battle Monuments Commission, via Wikimedia Commons)

While these famous leaders are great examples of the power of earned respect, other less renowned people have a profound influence on our lives, powered by the respect they earn through daily contact.  My father is such an example. 

Although not a man of great learning or worldly influence, my father is, however, a man possessed of wisdom, integrity, and compassion for others.  He is a friend to all and always true to his word.  His closest and most enduring friendships were with those, who could bestow little worldly advantage.  Perhaps that is why those friendships were so close and their respect for him was so great. 

My father worked hard his whole life, rarely asking anyone for help.  Nevertheless, anytime there was a need, especially among the elderly of our small town, my father would be there with his seven children to help.  He not only showed us how to act, he led us in selfless service.    

The value of service I learned from my father has been vital to my growth as a leader.  He taught me caring for people was more important than authority, material compensation, or what can be gained from the relationship.  In fact, he made it clear that I was to under no circumstances to accept anything more than cookies and lemonade in return for service.  I learned that a warm smile, a hug, a thank you, and the knowledge that you have helped someone means more and is more lasting than any monetary reward ever could be.  I am amazed at the enduring friendships, built on gratitude and mutual respect that he has cultivated.

My Dad and his legacy - Thanksgiving 2016

My respect for my father extends beyond his example of service.  The firm but fair way he and my mother enforced discipline in our home has left its imprint on my life.  My father rarely raised his voice or physically punished us, and when he did, he had a more than ample reason.  He and my mother enforced high standards without oppression.  We obeyed because we loved and respected our parents and didn’t want to disappoint them.  My father insisted we display the same integrity and work ethic he showed. He never demanded my respect – he earned it.  Through years of teaching, mentoring, and being an example for us, he was someone all seven of us could admire and strive to be like.

My father taught me many things, but one lesson, in particular, had a special impact.  Once, when I had done something against the high morals my parents had instilled in me, my father explained the importance of a good reputation – of the respect people have for you.  He explained that it takes a lifetime to build a good reputation, but a thoughtless act can destroy it in a moment.  Furthermore, he taught me that while I can choose my actions, I cannot choose their consequences and must take responsibility for my own choices.  In this, he pointed out that perception matters more than intent.  The excuse that I didn’t mean to hurt anyone doesn’t take away the pain I had caused.  After ensuring I understood, he personally took me to the person I had harmed to make proper amends. 

These lessons are particularly applicable in our modern virtually connected world.  With the power of the Internet and social networks, words spoken in a moment of passion, a picture, a post, a tweet, an e-mail can cause irreparable damage to our reputations and relationships.  While telling someone off may seem a good idea at the moment, once we hit the send button, it cannot be retrieved or its distribution controlled.

Organizations too can lose the respect of their employees, customers, and stakeholders.  Maltreatment of employees or customers no longer stays within closed doors.  With tools such as GlassDoor, Indeed, and LinkedIn, potential employees and customers can see how we treat those who work for us and gauge the morale within our organizations.  Some companies, rather than changing their managerial climate, try to control this damage by intimidation and legal threats.  This only exacerbates the problem.  Enforcement of morale via the pink slip does more harm than good.  The only truly constructive way to maintain a good public image and internal morale is to ensure our actions merit respect.  The dividends of this approach are incalculable.  An organizational culture based on true mutual respect can unlock the potential held in the collective talents and abilities of all stakeholders.

Thus far, we have focused on the respect we earn as leaders.  However, respect not only binds people to their leader, it also binds members of a team to each other.  When we respect and love our leaders and colleagues, our enthusiasm and willingness to go the extra mile increase.  When we base our teams on mutual respect we help, listen, and mentor each other.  We value each and every member’s contribution.  This builds unity and a culture of mutual respect.  In this environment, the leader’s role is not to drive them forward, but to cultivate this climate and to direct the team enthusiasm in accomplishing organizational goals and visions.

Basketball player, Senator, and author Bill Bradley advised, "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."[2]

Similarly, Jillian Ellis, the coach of the US women’s national soccer team, explained, "If there is a mutual respect between players and coaches, that keeps the team honest and makes for a very healthy environment which in turn promotes other important qualities such as work ethic, integrity and a positive atmosphere for competing and winning."[3]

Recently, during a team discussion, the subject turned to effective leadership.  My leader’s views impressed me.  He emphasized the role of mutual respect in any leader-follower relationship.  He explained that respect is “earned, lost, and gained.”  I found this statement insightful because it follows my father’s lifelong example and teachings of earning and keeping a good reputation. 

While one can be appointed as a leader, this does not make them one.  A true leader earns his title over time by respecting and earning the respect of those he leads.  The key to understanding respect and its tie to leadership is that it is not simply given – it must be gained and earned.  However, we must not forget that it can also be easily lost.  Earning and keeping respect requires work and time.

I have often observed the interrelationship between leadership and respect.  I watched many true leaders work to gain and keep the respect of their people. As they did so, they were able to achieve many great things. 

Unfortunately, I also watched some lose this respect through thoughtlessness and disrespect and consequently struggle to meet basic objectives.  Without motivated and enthusiastic people at their back, they were left with the limited effectiveness of punitive enforcement of their will.

Years ago, a new lieutenant illustrated the power of earned respect to me as a young Airman.  Rather than “lead” from his office, he came out onto the shop floor, approached one of the crews and said, “Teach me to fix something.”  By showing he respected our contributions and was interested in us, he took his first step on the road to earning our respect.  Using similar approaches, he had soon gained such respect that any of us would do anything for “LT.” 

A leader who respects their people and who can earn the respect of their subordinates, in turn, fosters respect among them.  Consequently, they will find the effectiveness of their teams increase, resorting in organizational pride.  Teams, where the views and positions of all are not respected, restrict their potential informational and problem-solving power.  While hierarchy is necessary to maintain order and too little discipline can cost a leader the respect of his team just as much as too much.  A proper balance ensures all team members have a voice in decisions, leveraging the maximum amount of experience and knowledge. 

This is the root of the final aspect of respect.  A leader must be firm, but fair.  Respect is not earned by being indulgent and never confronting non-conformance.  A leader must care enough to correct.  One of the leaders I most respect reprimanded me on a regular basis.  Nevertheless, each time I stood in front of him to hear of my shortcomings, there was a reason.  Furthermore, he didn't simply berate me, he clearly pointed out where I had fallen short, explained the consequences for further substandard performance, and provided the resources necessary to reform myself.  Under his tutelage, I was eventually able to exceed his expectations.  When I did, he let me know and bestowed greater responsibility on me.  While I feared his displeasure, I learned to respect him as a firm but fair mentor and coach.

Respect is one of the most misused words in the English language.  Many think not fulfilling their demands shows a lack of respect.  Not agreeing with their views, no matter how irrational, is also a sign of disrespect. 

We must get back to the real meaning of this important concept.  Respecting someone means that while we may not always agree, we still value them, their contributions, and their input.

Leaders like those whose names are engraved in the annals of history respected and earned the respect of those with whom they accomplished so much.  They succeeded because they respected the contribution of those they led and did not rely on their own wisdom alone.  When we are able to swallow our pride and allow others to contribute to our collective success, we will earn their respect and devotion to not only us personally, but to the vision we embody.

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[1] According to Oxford Dictionaries, describes the origin of respect as:  Late Middle English: from Latin respectus, from the verb respicere 'look back at, regard', from re- 'back' + specere 'look at'. (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/respect)

[2] Bradley, Bill. Bill Bradley Quotes. 1 March 2015. 1 March 2015. <http://www.art-quotes.com/auth_search.php?authid=6579>.

[3] Benson, Michael. "Winning Words: Classic Quotes from the World of Sports." Benson, Michael. Winning Words: Classic Quotes from the World of Sports. Plymouth, UK: Taylor Trade Publishing, 2011. Pg 156. Google Book.

Corporate Citizens - Investing in Prosperity

Photos from UNESCO and NTPC

The old adage states, “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.”  One of the great obstacles to world prosperity is a lack of basic education and vocational training among the disadvantaged of the world.   In its pamphlet The Right to Education UNESCO states:

“Education is an inalienable human right.  It is also unique in that it empowers the individual to exercise other civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, attaining a life of dignity, while ensuring a brighter future for all, free from want and fear.” [1] 

While education is not a silver bullet against all the ills of the world, providing the disadvantaged of the world with that lifeline enables them to more effectively overcome the conditions that bind them to their life of ignorance and poverty.

Due to the economic incentive and the self-respect that gainful employment provides, businesses are in a unique position to influence the populations of the countries in which they operate for good.  There are three basic areas where this influence can be manifest.  First, as an employer, the company can provide vocational training.  Second, it can provide incentive and money for education in job-related fields.  And finally, the business can invest in the local school system, enabling a new generation of quality employees and creating a good public image.  The responsible corporate citizen doesn’t strive to merely extract all possible profit from their host country, but to improve the lot of its citizens as well and build lasting prosperity that will benefit them and the people for years to come.

In reality, these economic relationships are symbiotic relationships in which firms provide income, training, education, economic development, and humanitarian aid to the community and the host society provides motivated employees who are ever more capable of contributing to the profitability of the company.

While much of the world’s humanitarian aid merely applies a bandage to the symptoms of poverty by supplying basic provisions, businesses have the will and incentive to treat poverty’s root causes by providing economic incentives to work, go to school, and challenge the political, social, and institutional barriers to personal prosperity.  The first step is giving employees on-the-job and formal vocational training and then paying them for the use of those skills.  A person values what he has earned more than what is merely given to them.  Similarly, a villager in a developing country will take more pride in the bread he has earned than that, which was given to him with no effort on his part.  Although direct humanitarian aid is important, the hand that lifts him out of the cycle of poverty not only fills the belly, but builds pride in oneself by making them a self sufficient provider for their family.

The second area of influence involves programs to provide and encourage formal education.  By encouraging unskilled employees to seek formal and vocational education in a company related field, businesses can build a cadre of well trained employees, who know and understand the local culture and can therefore more effectively lead their coworkers.  Meanwhile, the employee increases his earning power and ability to influence his society by bettering themselves and improving the prospects for their posterity.

The final task, while long term in nature, is arguably the most important.  A company that exploits the workers and resources without contributing to the wellbeing of the community is often resented and does earn the loyalty of its employees or the host populace.  By investing in the local school system, a company improves the lives of the students, while also building a more capable generation of prospective employees.  Additionally, a father that sees his employer making his child’s life better will often be more devoted than one who only sees the monthly paycheck.  The UNESCO’s 2002 report on its “Education for All” initiative states, “…education is important for at least three reasons.  First, the skills provided by basic education, such as being able to read and write, are valuable in their own right...Second, education can help to displace other more negative features of life…Third, education has a powerful role in empowering those who suffer from multiple disadvantages. Thus women who have benefited from education may simply survive better and longer than they would otherwise.”[2]

While humanitarian aid in the classic sense of providing for the immediate needs of the less fortunate is vital, the underlying goal of any aid program should be to remove the underlying causes of suffering.  Responsible businesses can effectively fill this role.  A great example is Western Union’s Our World, Our Family program.  In addition to providing direct humanitarian aid, Western Union also funds education and mentoring programs to help build self sufficiency in migrant communities.  Western Union has provided educational benefits to over 500,000 migrant youth in the United States over the past 26 years resulting in a 94 percent graduation rate.[3] Western Union’s program and similar initiatives of numerous other corporations are making differences in the lives of those otherwise condemned to poverty.[4]  By giving the gift of education these corporate philanthropists are providing the proverbial fishing hole that will likely feed the man and his loved ones for generations to come.[5]

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[1] UNESCO.  The Right to Education (pamphlet).  September 26, 2005.  Paris, France.  <www.unesco.org/education>.  Accessed March 12, 2008.

[2] UNESCO.  Education for All:  Is the World on Track?  2002 EFA Global Monitoring Report.  Paris, France.  <www.unesco.org/education> .  Accessed March 12, 2008.

[3] Western Union.  “Our World, Our Family Program.”  Copyright 2001-2008.  <http://corporate.westernunion.com/ourworld.html> .  Accessed March 12, 2008.

[4] Also see the Indian company NTPC’s corporate responsibility website at https://www.ntpc.co.in/en/corporate-citizenship/empowering-people for another example of how corporations can build sustainable development by investing in the local population.

[5] Other Sources used in this article include: 

-          Bernstein, Jason.  “Is Education the Cure for Poverty?”  The American Prospect.  April 22, 2007. < http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=is education the cure for poverty >.  Accessed March 12,2008.

-          Lodge, George C.  “Using Business to Fight Poverty.”  Working Knowledge for Business Leaders.  Harvard Business School.  August 12, 2002.  <http://hbswk.hbs.edu/cgi-bin/print> .  Accessed March 12, 2008.

-          UNESCO.  “Right to Education.”  <http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php>.   Accessed March 12, 2008.

-          University of Maryland.  Poverty Rates By Education (graph).  <http://bsos.umd.edu/socy/vanneman/socy441/trends/poveduc.jpg>.  Accessed March 12, 2008.

-          World Bank Group.  “Education and the World Bank, What is the World Bank Doing to Support Education.”  2008.  <http:web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTEDUCATION>. Accessed March 12, 2008.

-          World Bank Group.  “FAQ.”  Updated April 2006.  <http:web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTEDUCATION>.  Accessed March 12, 2008.

-          World Bank Group.  “Education and Development, Why is Education Important to Development?.”  Copyright 2008.  <http:web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTEDUCATION>.  Accessed March 12, 2008.

My Leadership Crucible: Caring Enough to Correct

Photo from Ancient Wessex Network

In the barren deserts south of the Dead Sea is a wasteland covered with ancient piles of slag.  Khirbat Hamra Ifdan was one of the industrial centers that fueled the early Bronze Age.  Copper ore was extracted from nearby mines and brought to this site where ancient metallurgists crushed the ore-laden rock, sorted out the ore-rich pieces, and placed them in a cup-shaped clay crucible.  The crucible was then superheated until the copper separated from the rock and other impurities.  The small amount of pure copper was collected, mixed with tin, and formed into bronze tools, ingots, and jewelry; while left-over material or slag was discarded.  This purification process was painstaking and labor intensive, but the end product turned the Kingdom of Moab and later, Israel, into regional powerhouses. 

Due to its ability to turn the ore-laced rock into something valuable by removing impurities, the crucible and the fiery smelting process became symbolic of personal purification in religious and philosophical circles.  Hence, a crucible in a person’s life denotes a time of extraordinary suffering that results in personal a purification that would have been otherwise impossible without that “trial by fire.” 

Most successful leaders have passed through formative crucibles – seeming purgatories, where we suffer, our weaknesses are purged, and, if not broken by the trial, we emerge on the other side better, wiser, and more effective leaders.   I have endured several such transformative periods.  The first occurred over fifteen years ago.

Through a lot of luck and a bit of persistence, I had made it into an interpreters’ program that I had pursued for two years.  I had made it through two thirds of the nine month course, when I was called in to meet with the human resource manager who would determine where I would go after the program.  Rather than telling me that I would be going on to an exciting new assignment, he explained that the teachers didn’t think I had what it takes to be an effective interpreter and recommended I be dropped from the program.  It was perhaps one of the darkest days of my career. 

Because I knew I was not the most capable student in the program and was acutely aware of my shortcomings, I frequently asked my instructors for feedback and suggestions on what I could do to improve.  Each time I was told, “Don’t worry, you’re doing all right.”  These false reassurances made the news all the more devastating.  It wasn’t the truth that I was inadequate that hurt but the possibly well meaning, but nonetheless misleading reassurances, followed by the unexpected revelation of my real standing in the course.  Honest feedback was what I needed most to succeed or at least prepare myself for the inevitable.  That is what I didn’t get.  It hurt that no one had cared enough to counsel and correct me until I was almost beyond help. 

Fortunately, I was able to convince the manager that he should give me a chance to prove myself.  I asked for an evaluation on an interpreting excursion the next day.  To my relief, based on my performance, the manager told me I would finish the program and be assigned to the agency’s overseas office. 

Although I had made it through this trial, my crucible was still not complete.  It continued, but this time with a leader who cared enough to correct.  Within a month, I found myself in Germany interpreting for arms control inspections throughout Europe.  I was assigned to a team lead by a man I still consider one of the most influential people in my life.  He made it clear he demanded the best from his people and would not settle for less.  Despite my experience at the interpreters’ school, I was still young, immature, overconfident, and under-qualified.  Consequently, I made some critical mistakes. 

In contrast to my earlier experience, each and every time I failed to rise to his high, but fair standards, he immediately and plainly pointed out my shortcomings, informed me of the consequences for continued substandard performance, and then provided me ample training opportunities to remedy my shortcomings.  By the time he left our team a year and a half later, I had been able to rise to the standards he demanded.  His praise for my abilities meant much more to me than the empty praise of those who were afraid to point my deficiencies for fear of hurting my feelings.  The foundation he helped me build was the basis of my current success.

As often happens as we progress from follower to leader, I had to learn this lesson from the opposite perspective.  I was placed in charge of a team of extremely talented specialists, one of which, while a phenomenal analyst, struggled in some key areas.  However, despite my desires to never subject someone to what I had gone through, I too hesitated to confront those behaviors that were bringing down the team’s effectiveness in fear of hurting his feelings.  This led to not only personally suffering the consequences of my inaction, but also to my analyst and my entire team failing to reach their full potential.  As his leader, I should have cared enough to set standards, insist they be met, identify where those standards were not met, and impose consequences and remedies for failure.

Since that time, I have learned the value of clearly setting out expectations, tactfully identifying deficiencies, and mentoring those willing to change and capable of rising to the necessary standards.  Those who repeatedly prove themselves unwilling or unable to adapt must be let go or moved to where they can succeed. 

As many leaders, I enjoy praising and awarding excellence in my subordinates but dislike confronting them and meting out discipline when they repeatedly fail to meet stated standards.   From the above crucibles, I have learned the value of clear and achievable standards, paired with fair and predictable consequences for failing to meet them.  I have learned that I must force myself to move outside my comfort zone by identifying and correcting deficiencies clearly and immediately but then afterward, showing an increased concern for their progress by providing the training and guidance they need. 

While a good leader never relishes confronting their team members, they nevertheless do not shrink from identifying and rectifying substandard situations by clear feedback, equitable discipline and caring remediation.  A leader who ignores or tolerates substandard performance and fails to correct shortcomings while issues are still manageable is more destructive to team effectiveness than the despotic manager who, it seems, relishes the opportunity to criticize and belittle.  While the latter frustrates and irritates, the former sabotages progress and development by refusing to take upon themselves the most vital leadership roles of guide, teacher, and mentor.

In his science fiction classic Starship Troopers, Robert Heinlein illustrates the importance of confronting signs of non-compliance early.  He points out that the leader that truly cares about his people doesn’t tolerate noncompliance and incompetence.  The true leader points out shortcomings unambiguously and corrects not out of malice, but with the aim of teaching correct principles.  Failing that, he removes those who repeatedly show themselves unable or unwilling to perform to required standards.  Nevertheless, even firing a subordinate is done out of concern for them and the rest of the team.  The incompetent or unrepentant can thus succeed elsewhere or at least no longer jeopardize the team’s success. 

In my life, the most memorable and effective leaders were not those that coddled me or ignored my shortcomings, but those that first of all, set and enforced a standard and then either rewarded success lavishly or imposed fair and consistent consequences for failing to meet those standards followed by giving me the tools I needed to not fail again.

While confronting non-conformance is difficult for an engaged and caring leader, we must not lose sight of the value of frank, fair, and consistent feedback.  While rewarding success builds our people up and reinforces good behavior, this one vectored approach must be balanced with caring but consistent feedback and discipline.  Neglecting this key function, we sow the seeds of failure, complacence and incompetence in us, our teams, and our people. 

Similar to a furnace and crucible, a leader’s main goal should be to take the potential-laden team member and help them purge the limitations holding them back.  This does not have to be unpleasant to those we mentor, but all too often, change requires we endure some discomfort if we are to come reach our true potential.  The principle of “caring enough to correct” calls for us to help those we lead get through this discomfort and to reach the success on the other side.