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Cowardly leaders who are in positions of authority and power have the clout to demand.  However, being in authority, and being a Leader are two entirely different things. How to "look" like a leader Therefore, cowardly leaders must develop shortcuts.  By necessity, they must look like leaders even when they aren't.  Some of these methods include: Pretending to build and lead a team- This pretense is based on having "fun" staff meetings, telling jokes, cutting up, maybe even bringing in food from time to time.  The intent is to show, when everyone is together, that everyone is one big, happy, family.  What the cowardly leader usually never grasps is that the remaining 198 hours of the week, when he is a jerk, issuing orders, countermanding previous orders, ignoring existing policies, and falling over himself saying "yes,…

The 80-20 rule, or the Pareto Principle, is defined as when 80% of the work, or effort, is done by 20% of the people.  There are many, many variations. Cowardly Leadership and the 80-20 rule George Will wrote an interesting editorial in the Washington Post a few weeks ago entitled "Our Dangerous, Idiotic National Conversation."  I am a George Will fan for many reasons, not the least is which I will always read a word or two in one of his columns I've never seen before. Anyway, he said, "At most moments, 312 million are not listening to excitable broadcasters making mountains of significance out of molehills of political effluvia."  Leaving aside effluvia, Mr. Will reminds us all that of the 325 million or so Americans, a relative very few are at the…

No cowardly leadership post this week- I am in New Orleans at the NRPA National Conference.  I will be speaking on PARC Leadership, so if you're there or in town, come by and listen. Opportunities If you or your agency are interested in leadership training, leadership sessions, retreat training and facilitation or organizational review, I hope you'll give me a shout. In the meantime, let the good times roll! Next week we will talk about the 80-20 rule and how it applies to cowardly leaders. II-53

Ramblings-there is NO theme today Usually- up to this point, anyway- I've had something specific in mind as I go to write the weekly edition of Cowardly Leadership-Up Close and Personal.  But not this week.  Not that there isn't lots to write about.  Still, how many different ways can I talk about how cowardly leaders  lie, manipulate, are egotistic, full of hubris, insincere, insecure, and the many other traits they possess? So, today, there is no theme.  It's just stuff I've thought of recently. It's really NOT about Cowardly Leadership I visited with a very good and smart friend last week (that's a shout-out there, ADM Price).  He suggested something I hadn't really thought about until he brought it up (which, in a backhanded compliment kind of way, means he does read these…

As I have researched and written these Cowardly Leadership  blogs, I've discovered that regardless of position or degree of importance, cowardly leaders fall into one of two general categories:  Those that mistakenly, but sincerely, think and believe that they are "right" simply because they were elected, or appointed, to their office.  They must be correct.  Or omnipotent.  Or simply smarter than us.  Otherwise, they wouldn't have been elected or appointed. Those that couldn't care less if they are right or not.  Being right, or correct, or smart, doesn't matter.  It's all about politics and power.  They have the position so they will do what they want to do.  Additionally, they will force their employees (that is, if they want to stay employees), to do what they are told. The first group are…

Because it's Labor Day weekend and week, Cowardly Leadership-Up Close and Personal is taking today off.  However, you, dear reader, still have homework. What Do You Want? The Big 5-0.  This is the fiftieth post of the year.  We have written about a wide range of subjects- abdicating your leadership responsibilities, the lack of teamwork in a cowardly leadership setting, military leadership examples, various ways of identifying cowardly leaders, and many others. It's time to hear from you.  What do you want to read, learn, discuss? Remember that the original premise of this is cowardly leadership at the local level- the next door neighbor who is an elected official in your town.  Or, the lady you go to church with who is an appointed know-it-all due to her...well...appointment.  In other words, the "I was appointed to…

Yes, you. YOU are a Cowardly Leader So am I.  We all are, at different points and in different circumstances.  It happens when we ignore grievances or oversights that should be addressed.  It happens when we fail to speak "truth to power."  When we fail to stand in front of our boss and stand on our principles.  When we take a job knowing that we don't have the same philosophy as the leadership and decide to be a "yes man" in order to keep the position. I Don't Have the Answer I know that by writing a blog, there is an assumption that I will be able to point out issues, then supply answers.  Or, at least, possible options.  I have dealt with cowardly leaders  for years and have been writing…

How Cowardly Leaders Impact Morale Cowardly leaders impact morale?  Huh???  A statement of the obvious? Duh!  That they impact morale goes without saying.  They are going to manage (not lead) an organization, and more often than not, that management style results in low morale.  The employees will, for the most part, be stressed.  They will not understand their role, what is expected, or what their mission is.  In all likelihood, that mission will routinely change based on what the cowardly leader has determined is to his best advantage. Nevertheless, it's valuable to understand what the effect is on the employees.  When they are jerked around, used and abused, sacrificed for the benefit of the cowardly leader,  they will suffer. Ramifications A Harvard Business Review article on morale and what happens when employees think the boss is…

Cowardly Leaders who are in positions of power have the ability and authority to get rid of their subordinates.  That isn't disputed.  However, how they choose to get rid of their subordinates helps define a true cowardly leader. How Cowardly Leaders Eliminate Employees Cowardly Leaders are in unique positions.  They have the power and authority to make decisions that dramatically-even drastically-affect the careers and lives of the people who work for them.  Being in a professional position by no means insures that they will be professional.  There are at least four different ways they use:  The Old Fashioned Way-  Cowardly leaders can always fire someone if the charter or city/county ordinances allow it.  It's rare, except in a politicized city government, that there isn't some protection for an employee. However, in those power-centric organizations…

I've written before about power, authority, and leadership.  The blog Power Is Not Leadership is particularly relevant. Another previous blog post discusses the challenge and difficulty of Speaking Truth to Power.  Simon Sinek has excellent advice when he says, "The most important thing you will ever do as a leader is tell the truth.  It's also the easiest.  Just tell the truth." When Power Doesn't Listen All leaders answer to someone.  Regardless of how many people you lead, you answer to someone.  So you have multiple opportunities to speak truth to power.  However, I heard an interesting question posed the other day: What Do You Do When Power Doesn't Listen? I still firmly believe that the most difficult challenge any leader faces is speaking truth to power.  And when that power is not…