When a leader falls...

Earlier this month I took a hit between the eyes when I learned about the fall from grace of a (former) leader colleague of mine.  To say that I was saddened and taken aback would be more than a bit of an understatement.  I had developed a good working relationship with this individual even though we had really not worked in the same organization.  So perhaps my perspective was not as founded in "hard fact" as it should have been.  Maybe I became too enamored by a connection based on personality and shared life experiences. 

Unfortunately, in one way or another, this is not the first time that I have had some personal experience of a leadership fall from grace.  A variety of circumstances have surrounded the fall of my leaders or colleagues and the particular cause is not key to the reality and impact that such an event has - both for the individual and their teams.  As leaders we are often placed - or place ourselves - on a lofty pedestal.  In such a place our actions and behaviors are subject to a great deal of public scrutiny.  In our modern world we seem to see so many examples of this play out in politics, the business world and even in the not-for-profit sector.  Sometimes that scrutiny is warranted and sometimes it can be a bit over the top.  Regardless, in many respects we accept that reality for the material benefits it accords or because we are driven to achieve some higher purpose.

In more than a few cases the culminating event which precipitates the fall of a leader seemingly comes out of left field.  The event seems tragically out of character with other aspects of the leader's personality.  That's usually what makes the fall so much more difficult to comprehend.  As team members and colleagues we have placed faith and trust in our leader.  They have served as our beacon, our guide and our source of energy towards a shared goal and purpose.  Often it is because we have developed such an intense investment in the cause that our leader has espoused that the fall from grace results in such strong feelings of shock, dismay, and even betrayal.  Beyond the feelings we may now have about our fallen leader we also start to question the validity of the path we have been on.  We may even start to question our own judgment - how could we have been fooled, how could we have been so naïve, how could we have let ourselves be led down this path?  We start to question what this says about us as well as our leader.

So after the fall where to next?  For the leader and the team both there will be time for processing and reflection.  For the leader, rehabilitation (if that is not too harsh a term) is possible to achieve and there are real life examples of such in the public domain and in our personal experiences.  What's critical in moving positively forward, however, is sincerely accepting ownership for the circumstances leading to the fall.  The leader's response to their past or present actions will in fact determine their future.  I happen to believe that this can't be some staged public relations effort aimed at feigning remorse.  Rather, there must be tangible and heartfelt recognition of the line crossed and similar and sustained action to reestablish personal credibility within and beyond the organization.

For those who have followed, there needs to be some real effort as well to distinguish between the fall of the one and the cause that was espoused.  The latter may in fact still be worthy of our personal effort and investment even if our leader's actions may have compromised our ability to move towards the goal in the short-term.  There is also a fine line to walk at this time between disowning the actions of the leader and the leader themselves.  None of us is perfect.  Each of us have our personal weaknesses and may have made some of the same mistakes as our leaders given the right circumstances.  Beyond the fall, we each have to make our own personal decisions as to how we will move forward, what we will learn from any given situation, and ultimately find the courage and strength to continue making a difference in the world around us.

There is a constant need to remind ourselves of the standard of behavior now expected of us, how we set the tone for all around us, and how easy it can be to cross the line between "right"and "wrong".  With great power comes great responsibility.  The judgements for failed leadership can be both quick and harsh and can be informed by both reality and perception.  In fact, there may be times when we don't even recognize when we have "crossed the line" until the consequences are there for all to see.  Achieving a leadership position is often far easier than sustaining a position as a respected leader.  As leaders we have to be constantly assessing our environment and our own behaviors in that shifting context.  This is both the burden and honor of leadership.
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Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
TEC Canada Chair/Executive Coach/Senior Consultant
hadubiak@wmc.ca

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.