We seem to constantly hear about leaders who lose their way by committing ethical failures that ruin their career and organization. Hewlett-Packard CEO, Mark Hurd, submitted false expense reports and had to resign. U.S. Senator John Ensign used monetary payoffs to cover up an extramarital affair. The list could go on.
It is easy to think that they are different and that would not happen to me. But, do you ever wonder if Mark Hurd and John Ensign thought those same thoughts about others who fell before them? And now here it happens to them. How do we keep from tripping and then falling within leadership?
Bill George, Harvard Business Professor, writes, “Leaders who lose their way are not necessarily bad people, rather, they lose their moral bearings, often yielding to seductions in their paths. Very few people go into leadership roles to cheat or do evil, yet we all have the capacity for actions we deeply regret unless we stay grounded.” Bill George recommends that leaders participate in self-reflection and keep connected to their values.
Self-Reflection Applied
As I work with many leaders, when I mention the need to set time for reflection, you can see them cringe. It is not that they see themselves as above reflection time or that it is bad. They readily admit that they desperately need it. The reality is that taking time to be quiet and reflect is a hard discipline. And, I use the word ‘discipline’ purposely.
The dictionary defines discipline as “a training, exercise or regime that develops or improves a skill.” When I first started to run for exercise, it was agony. I was using muscles, I was not use to. However, the more I kept to the discipline of running regularly, the easier it became. I also benefited from the results of health which motivated me more in the discipline.
Reflection is similar. Reflection is taking time to listen within one’s self. This requires time to be still and quiet. However, leaders are driven to move, so to ask them to do an exercise that causes them to slow down is like agony. But if you keep to it, the benefits of keeping grounded to your moral compass are well worth it.
So, how do you self-reflect? In a future blog, I will provide some practical applications on how to self-reflect. But, first it would be interesting to hear from you. What does self-reflection look like for you?