Truth to power
I worked for someone once who, as far as I know, has never run for office, and has never worked at a Department Head or Director level in any city or county government. I don’t mean he has not worked at senior levels- in fact, much of his career has been at a senior level.
As a political appointment.
Appointed by whomever was in elected office. Appointed to whatever position might be available. I would be shocked-SHOCKED- if he had ever spoken truth to power.
If there were a stereotypical caricature for the term “political bureaucrat”, he is it. He follows elections, and is able to find jobs at senior levels at the state capitol (with the right party, of course). If/when that person is out of power, he parlays his contacts into a political appointment at a local level. He is the only person I’ve ever run across who is a career appointee.
He has no professional expertise, to my knowledge. Unless… saying yes at all times to the elected officials he works for is professional expertise.
WHY I know more than you know
Political appointees who cling to the coattails of those in elected office are sly and cunning. They know the system, and they work the system. Maybe what follows is inevitable, but it seems to be this:
I am a higher position than you are + I know the guy in power who got me this job = I know more than you know.
These appointees rarely make the mistake of insinuating they know more than the person who got them their job. But they make it clear they know more than the Directors, Assistant Directors, architects, engineers, and professional staff who have been in place, sometimes for decades. I have more power, and that is WHY I know more than you know.
Are all political appointees like this? Of course not. But by definition, they have their positions based on their loyalty to the chief elected official, and if they aren’t “smarter” than the staff they supervise, then what good are they? “I can remove you from your position,” is a powerful motivator.
Speaking truth to power
Most everyone has heard the phrase, “speak truth to power.” It means having the……
Courage is a good word…the courage to tell your seniors, your bosses, your elected officials, what is true. Even when-especially when– it is unpopular! The key word here is true. What can be backed up with facts?
Simon Sinek is a best selling author and has one of the most popular TED talks ever recorded- How Great Leaders Inspire Action (I recommend you take 18 minutes and watch it). You can find out more on his website www.startwithwhy.com. He said something in a recent post that really stuck with me: “The most important thing you will ever do as a leader is tell the truth. It’s also the easiest. Just tell the truth.”
Simple. But powerful.
Simon also says to pick up the phone and call someone and give them the bad news. Don’t do it over email. Walk to his office, walk to her cubicle, make a call.
Speak the truth.
I’ve been lied to. Everyone has. Have I lied? Of course. But I made it a rule a long time ago that I will never lie to my boss, I will never lie to elected officials, and I will never lie to the news media. And I’m comfortable saying I never have. Even when I was ordered to once.
Maybe the hardest thing about being a leader is…
I’ve read hundreds of articles and dozens of books on Leadership and Management. I am confident that absolutely the hardest decision any leader- a true leader- must make, is to speak truth to power. Can you tell the people in power they are making a mistake, that they are violating or ignoring established policies? It’s tough.
It gets compounded when it’s not truth you’re speaking to power, but your opinion. Being able to state what a situation is, and back it with facts, is difficult when you’re speaking to someone in authority. But having the facts gives you a lot of leverage. Imagine if you don’t have facts, but just an assessment, or an informed opinion. What if it’s just a gut feeling of yours that you feel needs to be said?
In a military setting, imagine standing in front of an Admiral or General and challenging them on a decision. It’s your job as a member of his team, but that doesn’t make it easier. At least in the military, someone at that level has earned their place. They have worked their way through promotions and decades of increasingly responsible positions to one of command. When they ask a question, or issue a challenge to your assessment, they typically have the experience and background to do so.
When the General asks, “Your analysis is based on what?”, how do you respond? She is a smart lady or she wouldn’t be a General. Do you speak truth to power- do you speak informed opinion to power?
Now put yourself in front of a political appointee who is where he is because of who he knows. Stand in front of a meeting with someone who may have never been involved in local government in his life, but is the chief elected official and now manages the city or county. He may, or may not, have any idea of what you are talking about, but you know he has an agenda. So when he asks, do you speak truth to power in that scenario?
One of two things will happen:
A true leader will listen and discuss why you have said what you have, or,
A cowardly leader will remind you he knows more than you do because he is your boss. And because being a cowardly leader is easy.
Are you willing to speak truth to power?
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