Many of my American clients, colleagues and friends are breathing a collective sigh of relief, as they are optimistic for a period of stronger leadership and a more ethical administration. It is early days in Biden’s tenure. He has a challenging road ahead of him. The same can be said for all of us who led through 2020 and now, in the first quarter of 2021.

I am encouraged by the optimism and increased business activity over the last several weeks. It is a harbinger for the future and global recovery. Rebuilding our economies and creating more vital workplaces with greater compassion, integrity and inclusivity will represent a significant undertaking.

As I advise my clients in the development and execution of updated strategies and the introduction of new business models, we often discuss what is required of them to ensure success. One of the tactics that has become clear to me is being true to oneself. When you consider the maelstrom of political and societal commentary over the last several years, including the recent Dutch government’s resignation, it is the lack of ethics and integrity that foster the undercurrent.

For me, there is a Hasidic story that reveals the universal tendency to want to be someone else, and the penultimate benefits to all when becoming one’s true self. Rabbi Zusya, when he was an old man, said, “In the coming world, they will not ask me: ‘Why were you not Moses?’ They will ask me, ‘Why were you not Zusya?’

We often portray our millennial employees as idealistic. I applaud those who hold us to high standards, and I would argue that the expectation extends to other demographics as well. As you reformulate your strategy, a critical exercise for all organizations at this juncture, dedicate time and reflection to the legacy you are seeking to create. It is not an exercise solely for those with a three-to-five-year retirement horizon. It is equally important at every stage of leadership.

Now I become myself.
It’s taken time, many years and places.
I have been dissolved and shaken,
Worn other people’s faces …

~ May Sarton

Reflection Exercise

Sit down with pen and paper, not a laptop or cell phone, and cast your mind’s eye into the future.

Three Years in the Future

Write down your answers to the following questions, looking three years into the future.

• If you were featured in a national or international forum or the media, how would you want to be portrayed?
• What would you hope your employees would say if confidentially surveyed? Consider not only your direct reports (who know you, understand you and at times make allowances for you), but also your customer-facing and frontline employees. What words do you want to flow from their mouths?  
• How will your customers/clients speak about your organization and their interactions?
• What contribution, if any, do you want to have made to your community, municipality, or country?
• What societal issue would you have liked to help advance or address?

Explore the Current Situation

Next, explore your current actions, choices and decisions, to determine alignment or misalignment to your longer-term view.  Where can you take bolder action? What issue has been niggling in the back of your mind for some time?

Evaluate Your Direct Reports

Start with an honest evaluation of the performance of your direct reports. Often, I validate the performance gaps that my clients have identified with a member of their team. Sometimes, my client has been appointed to a new role and, within the first 90 to 120 days, identifies a performance gap with one of their management team members. Other times, an executive’s performance is no longer on par with the rest of the management team. Typically, it is not a serious performance gap, but it does represent an opportunity cost. These can be the most insidious. Perhaps the board is a strong supporter of this individual, or they held greater interim responsibility during the CEO search. Often, they have strong functional knowledge and/or have been in the role for a long time. As a result, the CEO or executive questions their judgment and assessment. In most cases, their assessment is accurate, and together we create a set of actions for professional development or performance management of the individual.

Let Them Go

There is an old adage, “hire slow and fire fast”. Whether they are new to the role or organization, or have been in the position for months or years, heed your own judgment when evaluating performance. By all means, seek a third-party objective assessment, but do not delay in holding an honest conversation with the individual whose performance you are questioning. That benefits no one. Not the individual. Not your management team. Not the organization or its shareholders.

If You Could Not Fail

What would you try if you were 90% certain that it would not fail? Do you have ideas for a bold new approach? Is there a radical change you would like to make but have been holding back? The mundane is rarely historic.

Perhaps it is time to gather trusted advisors, be that through engagement with your board, customer focus groups, conversations with frontline employees, or a combination of these, and identify one change or initiative that, if successful, could make a meaningful improvement to your bottom line, your reputation, or your customer or employee experience.

Over the past many months, the entire world has been shaken like a child’s snow globe. For those in leadership positions, this provides a platform for bolder and more decisive action. Lead with integrity. Lead with authenticity. Lead with courage.

© 2021 Lorraine A. Moore. All rights reserved. Permission granted to excerpt or reprint with attribution.

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