Integer Leadership Consulting

You would think, as does much of the “business” world (based on the way the business world treats organizational failures … they tend to shoot their own wounded), that these failures are terminal failures. Now, it is true that many failures in leadership are often terminal failures as they relate to the particular organizational context in which the failure took place. But they are never absolute and terminal failures beyond that particular organizational context. Nonetheless, it must be acknowledged that there are tremendous challenges that await the leader who is attempting to recover from a personal or professional collapse. A primary macro challenge comes from a society and certainly a business culture that has not yet learned how to embrace the failure of its leaders. Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld (Sonnenfeld, 2002) identifies ten reasons why this is the case.

*Our society so worships success that we are afraid of associating with a possible contagion of failure.

*The self-esteem cost of failure is so painful our whole identity can be imperiled by even acknowledging defeat.

*The victims of defeat are angry with themselves and ashamed.

*The victims of failure often believe that they can disguise their defeat by superficial wordsmithing.

*Others around the victim are similarly embarrassed.

*People may think they lack sufficient resources to take on the restoration campaign.

*The lack of knowledge about recovering from failure creates a circle of ignorance.

*The double-edged sword of celebrity may create liability out of a former asset.

*Elevation and celebrity, however, is never guaranteed to be permanent.

*High-profile successful people are often used to believing themselves self-reliant in sharing their advice and resources with others.

How To Respond Redemptively to Leadership Failures

I have identified three broad areas where failure tends to occur with those in positions of organizational leadership. First, externally imposed failures. Here leaders become the lightening rod or scapegoat for systemic organizational anxiety and stress. While possessing little control over the ebb and flow of destructive macro organizational pressures, these leaders are demoted and replaced as a means of easing the tension felt throughout the system. Second, internally imposed failures. Here leaders, through their own decisions and subsequent actions, inadvertently or willfully compromise inviolate organizational processes or core values. Third, personal character and value failures. These failures are the result of leaders making personal choices that compromise their own integrity, self-respect and profoundly and perhaps irretrievably damage the capacity of others to trust and follow them.

As a consultant who values organizations, organizational leaders and understands the critical intersection where authenticity and humanity meet in a way that creates transformational leadership, I would advocate for a redemptive approach to each of these three areas of leadership failures noted in the preceding paragraph.

Organizations, far from casting-off struggling and demoralized leaders, should commit their resources and energy to help leaders rebuild a more authentic leadership self from the wreckage of the old self. This is the critical and generative work of any organization that is, more often than not, chronically undervalued, eschewed and completely missed. Yet, if someone within the organization possesses a vision for what could be built in the lives of men and women who have discovered, perhaps painfully, their inclusion into the human race, deep and lasting change could be birthed that would position many of these leaders for incredible influence in new ways. Though this impact might not take place within the organization they once led, it would nonetheless be an impact that would inexorably be felt by many who were struggling to discover and follow their true selves within the context of organizational life.

Organizations who are willing to seriously and courageously engage ways to respond to the foibles and failures of their leaders, managers and other valued staff members, would do well to embed the following philosophical reflections and practical processes into their organizational HR infrastructure.

*Leaders are human beings and thus prone to the same personal struggles and inconsistencies, fears and dubious motives that affect and create conflict within every human being. No leader is immune. No leader operates consistently above selfishness and self-promoting performance.

*Failure is a common experience for any leader who eagerly aspires to make an impact in the people and processes of any organization.

*The experience of failure, whether it begins with a personal failure and leads to a deficit in public/organizational performance or begins with an organizational lapse that inexorably leads to a very personal impact, can often sink deeply into the leader’s sense of self-worth, shame and embarrassment.

*Organizations should commit their resources to support the recovery of the leader even though that leader may never step foot again into the organization. This action is indicative of an extremely mature and healthy organization.

*Those resources should include supporting (through people, time and money) the personal, professional and organizational restoration and recovery of the leader … whatever that restoration and recovery looks like as it emerges contextually from the life of the leader, his or her family and larger circle of friends. Though the organization may not be able to commit long-term resources to the leader, they nonetheless initiate and launch the process. This is an incredible symbol of hope and possibility to the individual leader as well as a significant positive for the larger organizational culture. This action says “we not only understand people and performance but we also want to be involved, as much as possible, with those who have helped fashion and shape our organization.”

*Where possible, slowly reintegrate the leader back into the organizational culture and surround him or her with people who understand the critical role of support, encouragement and accountability.

*Where it is not possible for the leader to make their way back into the organization, stay in close contact with the leader in the months that follow the departure.

In conclusion, I would congratulate ANY organization that responds proactively to its leadership in this way. Actually, it would be an incredible statement of care and support … two qualities that are, more often than not, missing from organizational cultures today. Moreover, what would be most impressive is the fact that organizations which responded in this manner to one another, would be displaying a deeper understanding of human nature and the redemptive responsibility of the organization when confronted with its own humanity.

Notes:

Sonnenfeld, J.A. (2002). Deciphering executive failures. In R. Silzer (Ed), The 21st century executive: Innovative practices for building leadership at the top, 1st Ed. (pp. 3-18). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.