Here’s a situation that made me pause and wonder what I would have done.
In a chapter titled “Look for the Opportunity to Step Up” in John Maxwell’s SUCCESS 101 / what every leader needs to know, he wrote:
“Rob Low told me a story about when he was a leader in the middle of an organization. At a large meeting, his leader announced a new program that he said was in place. Rob listened with interest because he had not been aware of it. It sounded great, but then his leader announced that Rob would be leading the program, and anyone who was interested in it could talk to him after the meeting.
Rob had not been informed of his role in this program, but that didn’t matter. During the rest of the meeting while his leader spoke, Rob quickly sketched out the design and action plan for the program. When the meeting was over and people approached him, he communicated his plan and launched it. Rob said it may not have been his best work, but it was good work under the circumstances. It created a win for the organization, preserved his leader’s credibility, and served the people well.”
What would you have focused on? Would you have spent the rest of the meeting fuming because your leader hadn’t told you about this new program? Or, would you have caught the ball and run with it? Would you have bad mouthed your leader for catching you by surprise? Or, taken the high road and moved forward as smoothly as you could without putting your leader down?
It seems Rob and his leader had a good relationship. And Rob was the kind of guy who stepped up. His leader must have believed he could depend on him. He may have thought they had talked about the program.
The key is, you are a role model of behavior every day to those around you. Pivoting gracefully when something unexpected is thrown at you is a key attribute to hone.
We hear examples of leaders who point fingers and toss blame around like it’s an acceptable way to lead. It’s not. Be the kind of leader who rises to the occasion and does the right thing. You will be the one who is admired and valued.
