Leaders Who Can’t Be Questioned
Group photo with Jon Acuff & my co-author Karin Hurt
When Leaders Can’t Be Questioned
Last week I was privileged to hear Jon Acuff, author of Do Over: Rescue Monday, Reinvent Your Work, and Never Get Stuck Again present at the National Speaker Association’s Winter Conference. Check out his book and his thoughts on how you can best respond to the different types of change you’ll encounter in life. It’s well worth your time!
During his program, Jon said something that stuck with me and is a core element of Winning Well:
Leaders who can’t be questioned do questionable things. -John Acuff
Behind every leader who has self-destructed, repeatedly made poor decisions, and lost their influence in disgrace, there is a person who could not hear feedback.
I’ve sat with some of these leaders in the aftermath of their collapse. They shake their head in bewilderment and ask, “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
Even worse, some of them truly believed that they were open to feedback. But when you observed their interactions, they cut off people they didn’t want to hear from, encouraged those who agreed with them, and slowly built an ‘echo chamber’ where they couldn’t be questioned – not in ways that mattered.
What’s Your Leadership Core?
It’s easy to wag a finger at ‘those leaders’ – but how open are you?
Leaders who practice Winning Well lead from a core of confidence and humility.
With confidence you:
Know your strengths and use them
You stand up for what matters
You speak the truth
That confidence produces amazing results when you pair it with humility.
With humility you:
Have an accurate self-image (don’t believe your own press release!)
Admit mistakes
Invite challengers
When was the last time you invited someone to challenge your thinking, didn’t get defensive, and thanked them for their feedback?
Your Turn
How do you maintain clear communication and invite challenging feedback from your team?
Leaders who can’t be questioned do questionable things. Be confident, stay humble, and…
Be the leader you want your boss to be!
David Dye
P.S. To celebrate the launch of our new book, Winning Well: A Manager’s Guide to Getting Results — Without Losing Your Soul, Karin and I are offering you a special gift: A custom bookplate with your requested message.
Simply order Winning Well from your favorite bookstore (click here for Amazon). Then go to www.WinningWellBook.com. Click on THE BOOK, then on CUSTOMIZE YOUR BOOK, and submit your message in the form. When the book ships, we’ll send you a custom, hand-signed, adhesive bookplate that you can put inside the front cover.
Even better, there is no limit to the number of bookplates you may get. Get an affordable, customized resource for yourself and for all the managers in your life!
“Winning Well challenges the common win-at-all-costs mentality, offering specific tools and techniques for managers to achieve lasting results while remaining a decent person. This is a practical resource for inspiring teams and developing leaders.” -Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals
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Book David today for your event, workshop, or training: david@trailblazeinc.com or 1.800.972.582
