Abuse of Power—More Questions--Part II

Some good questions for C-suite leaders and higher-level managers to ask themselves regularly

·         Is your first commitment to the mission and vision of the organization and to its people (or to your own personal success or “fame”)?

·         Are you dedicated to being a person of integrity, honesty, humility, transparency, and care for others while also being committed to the quality of work produced in the organization?

·         Are you dedicated to exhorting those in your sphere of influence to become people of integrity, honesty, humility, transparency, and care for others while also being committed to the quality of work produced in the organization?

Some good questions that company Boards can be asking of/about their senior leadership—on a regular basis—include:

·         Are you noting a pattern where only the CEO’s ideas are the ones that matter and are carried out?

·         Are others on the staff/leadership team asked for input and heard? How will you know this is happening?

·         Where are the rough edges/areas for growth in this leader? Is this person aware of these blind spots? Are they willing to do the work to grow in these places (through therapy, coaching, receiving, and applying constructive feedback…)?

·         On a scale of 1 to 10, how defensive is this leader when given helpful input (about ideas, processes, goals, or personal correction)? How willing is this leader to apologize for mistakes/errors?

·         Would you say that this leader has been harsh, bullying, or abusive in some way in your interactions with him/her? Have you heard from others that this leader has been harsh, bullying, or abusive in some way in their interactions with him/her?

·         Is this leader consistent about affirming and encouraging his/her colleagues? What do these colleagues say (a 360 assessment can be very useful here)?

·         Are there leadership patterns or inconsistences that seem easy to dismiss as “nothing”—but, magnified forward, will present a future problem?

·         Does this leader have a pattern of playing favorites?

·         Does this leader have a pattern of jealously guarding all “important work” or accolades for himself/herself instead of raising up and delegating to others?

·         Has this leader not been able to “graduate” from their prior leadership or managerial role into their current role? What support/training/accountability/coaching might help with that transition/leap?

·         On a scale of 1 to 10, how safe are staff meetings with this leader in charge?

·         On a scale of 1 to 10, how safe are leadership meetings with this leader in charge?

Admittedly, organizations have high (sometimes too high) hopes for a new leader. There can be undue pressure on that person to be omni-competent, ultra-gifted, uber-talented in ways that are somewhat toxic to both the person and the organization—especially depending on that company’s history and culture.

That said, implementing a process where these questions and others (see previous post) are visited and revisited—with the purpose of helping each leader grow from good to exceptional—can make your organization stronger, more cohesive, and more effective in both the short- and long-term.

Shirley Giles Davis is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with a diversity of teams, leaders, and organizations locally, nationally, and internationally for over 35 years. She specializes in collaborative dialogue around a variety of subjects, with the goal of assisting every client in identifying priorities, becoming increasingly self-aware and deepening other-awareness, pursuing goals, overcoming obstacles, leaning into strengths, growing to greater health and skill, finding clarity, and, ultimately, flourishing. Contact Shirley. 

Photo (c) Shirley Giles Davis, all rights reserved.