How faithful are you to your position?
"If you truly love someone (or that leader position you hold), being faithful is easy." Anonymous
"I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter..." So reads a portion of a military officer's oath. Congressmen and women and senators recite the same oath before taking office. Leaders in private organizations do not, but perhaps they should.
I find that many leaders frequently violate the true intent and specific duties of their position. I even find myself in violation now and then, however, I'm more conscious of it and able to correct my behavior. Most leaders do not violate their position purposely with forethought, but they do it just the same. This violation - this unfaithfulness, comes in the form of doing things which others can and should do. In other words, lack of delegation. Leaders fail to delegate for three reasons - fear that the task will not be completed to their liking, laziness - the 'I'll just do it myself' approach, and guilt over handing more work to their subordinates.
Indeed the boss ought to roll up his or her sleeves now and then and get sweaty and dirty with the rank and file, but this ought to be the exception, not the norm. Unfaithfulness hurts the organization writ large. Leader positions are written (or ought to be) with the organization, not the individual in mind. For instance, if a CEO's job description centers on strategically steering the enterprise, he or she is unfaithful if they find themselves filling out forms, dropping off the company vehicle for maintenance, or shopping for a new company safe.
To cohere to my faithfulness, I operate under this philosophy - "do only those things that only I can do." Of course, I feel guilty for handing off work, nervous that tasks will not going to be completed as I desire, and laziness creeps in from time to time when I find myself doing something others can and should do. All this challenges me, but I swore an oath - even in my role as a private business owner and leader, and that oath still speaks to me.
Faithfully discharge your leader duties, not that of your subordinates. Your organization requires it of you. Be faithful.
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell