By Dr. Gina Tucker, Founder & CEO of EduCoach
In this two-part series, I explore the key qualities that define strong leadership—including the often-overlooked wisdom of knowing when it’s time to exit the stage.
When does a leader know it’s time to exit?
Nothing is more annoying than a leader whose expiration date has long come and gone. Even more annoying (smh and roll my eyes) is when no one is “leader-enough” to take action accordingly. And more annoying than that is when everyone (other than those few benefiting financially or otherwise) does or says nothing (or very little) and instead, watches the organization’s steady fall into disrepair as if they are waiting for someone–superman perhaps–to do something.
This scenario makes me think of spoiled milk. Everyone can see and smell that it is ‘off’ but no one will trash it. My problem is that I cannot sleep with spoiled milk in the fridge so I do what needs to be done. Likewise, and because I must sleep, I am not afraid to have the tough but necessary conversation in the interest of the organization. Turns out I am known for being “leader-enough” to confront the obvious and address it accordingly. You see, I lose too much sleep knowing someone in my charge is compromising the organization’s success. This is onlymade worse when ‘their job’ affects people–especially our young people.
You see, ‘real’ leaders embody a type of professionalism that is grounded in accountability because real leaders serve the team/organization by ensuring each person is able to ‘get their job done’—thereby collectively achieving the organization’s vision and mission. When this is not the case, real leaders accept that it is their responsibility to address it. My staff always knew that under- or lack of performance would be addressed by ‘the office’. They knew that, as a result, ‘things’ would change–one way or the other–very shortly. I admit that this is not always easy to do (there’s always so much politics and emotions involved) but real leaders–i.e., those who serve the organization’s vision and mission–understand that this is a critical and necessary part of their job. It’s not personal; it is what is expected and ultimately, doing it with dignity and tack is what is highly respected by valued staff.
So, why doesn’t a so-called leader know it’s time for them to exit stage left?
Let’s be honest, there are persons in leadership roles who we wonder just how they get there? These persons absolutely enjoy, love, and savor being in the position (John Maxwell’s Level 1 of Leadership) but are simply not ‘real’ leaders. Why? Because real leaders are always thinking about their exit…in fact, they are planning it as–or even before–they assume the role. Real leaders are always thinking about what needs to get done and how it is going to get done. In short, real leaders don’t linger.
In 2007, I offered myself for a very high level leadership position and stated: “All I need is six months (really three but there may be a few hitches). If the job is not getting done, I would gladly step down so that it could be done by someone else.” I also stated: “I have a proposed DRAFT plan, ready for stakeholder input and feedback.”
Would you hire someone who proposes such? You should because it demonstrates the essence of a real leader. Below I explain why in the most authentic way I know how. But, by this statement alone you can predict the kind of leader you will get– a leader who personifies self-monitoring accountability. Leaders who have the ability to “critically watch themselves” doing the job–or not–possess a unique and high level leadership skillset. Their leadership is morally based and not self serving.
Nonetheless, there are those who don’t or won’t hire such a person. More often than not, these persons probably have an “agenda” and we can be pretty sure what that agenda is not. And, as we have seen time and time again, those “agenda choices/decisions” typically don’t bode well for the organization in the long run.
I trust you agree that this statement speaks volumes about what sets a real leader apart. In Part 2, I’ll cut through the fluff and get real about a few powerful traits that define authentic leadership.
If you’re ready to level up your leadership skills now, book your Discovery Call at www.educoach.info or call +1-441-533-3382. Your next level of leadership starts here.