1. The Law of Minor Deviation
Ok maybe this isn't an official law but maybe it should be. The Costa Concordia was only a few hundred yards from where it should have been. Given the number of miles they'd traveled, how much of a problem could it be to deviate from the path a few hundred yards. Apparently huge!
The bigger the thing you find yourself in charge of the greater
the potential a small deviation has for disaster.
Pastors, that's why a little flirting may not seem like a big deal now but can causes a 3 mile island situation if it isn't eliminated. Great news! You guys have the opportunity to crash your job and your marriage in one simple step. Nobody wakes up one day and says "today's the day I throw it all away". You have to understand the path that leads to destruction and then determine if you're on it or not.
2. Decide ahead of time how you'll handle a crisis
I have no doubt Captain Francesco Schettino had crisis decisions made for him by people farther up the food chain. To reach his leadership level he must have been drilled on emergency procedures and systems, but apparently he never committed to them. We'll never have absolute certainty about what happened in the heat of the moment. How about you? Do you have a crisis management plan? I can tell you this, in the times where I've had meltdowns in my life, my best thinking got done by the men I'd already surrounded myself with. Decide now that you won't live in isolation and be forced to handle a crisis alone. Get some other people involved while there is still time to keep the dam from breaking by putting a finger in it.
For more on this, Click Here to read another post called "Who's Got Your Back"
3. Grow yourself faster than your position of leadership
Every challenge you face today produces an outcome. The higher you climb the ladder of leadership the farther you decisions ripple in your organization. The gravitational pull is to buy in to the "you the man" philosophy. The more influence you have over people's lively hood the lower the probability is they'll give you honest feedback. How many leaders do you know who are completely self unaware?
Poor decisions we make today don't only affect our outcomes tomorrow, but they habituate the process we use to make decisions going forward. Rarely are poor decisions made in isolation. A pattern is first established. I'd bet cash the people who worked with Captain Schettino, and saw how he made decisions on a daily basis, would've predicted his performance under pressure. To grow as a leader, I mean a real person of influence, you gotta have real, honest, unfiltered feedback from the people affected by your leadership. The simple act of asking for feedback is a sure sign of a good leader. Once you get the feedback, let it marinate and find the common themes that will make you a better leader.
4. Stupid always gets paid in full
The shipping industry newspaper Lloyd's List reported that Friday was not the first time the Costa Concordia steamed extremely close to shore near Giglio. How many times have you seen someone do something stupid and get away with it only to say "man that was stupid, I'll never do that again!" Never happens right? They keep coming back until stupid is paid in full. Because stupid doesn't feel stupid at the time but STUPID ALWAYS LOOKS BIGGER IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR.
Before you blast me, I'm not calling the captain stupid. Rarely are truly unintelligent, uneducated people given the opportunity to make mistakes of this magnitude. Stupid is an act not a person and even the smartest of us make stupid mistakes when our ego is left unchecked.
Who should you be getting critical feedback from?
If you could have a conversation with the you that lives 5 years in the future, what would "future you" say that "present you" did that was just plain dumb?
Great stuff, only one question: You said “5 Leadership Lessons”, I only count 4. Did the ship crash before you could get to 5? Seriously, all of these are right on the target.
Valuable lessons. More people should be reading and heeding.
Your last point about stupidalways getting paid in full reminds me of several proverbs. One in particular about the dog always returning to his vomit. I agree that we must be careful lest we develop poor habits that are reinforced every time we get away with it. I guess that’s what “be sure your sin will find you out” means.
As I was making voice notes for this blog, I was riding on the interstate and 2 grown men on 1 motorcycle passed me going atleast 95 to 100 mph. They guy on the back was holding on with one had and had a box in the other. Wonder if they learned their lesson yet?
5?
All a part of my over promise / under deliver strategy. Thanks for the heads up. It’s fixed
I found you through a Twitter feed. I’m not trying to build a church, but I am trying to become a leader – at home, at two jobs, with my own goals. I liked this blog post a lot, and it makes sense. Thanks.
Andi, guess what? With 2 jobs and a home to run you’re already leading. It all starts with you. Don’t tell my old boss John Maxwell (Leadership Guru) but the best leadership book I’ve laid my hands on is “Leadership and Self Deception” by the Arbinger Institue. It’s probably the best relationship book as well.
Is my browser not loading the whole article? I only see 4 points. Or maybe that’s the fifth point: “notice details!” I enjoyed the article, thanks for posting.
Just testing to see if you were paying attention. And many of you were. If I were going to add a 5th I’d say that you should always find ways to justify taking responsibility vs shucking it. Great leaders give away praise and keep the criticism, even when it isn’t theirs. If you’re the leader and there is a problem, you’re the problem. And the solution.