Leadership Credibility Killers

I’ve just finished reading a book by Liz Wiseman called Impact Players.  

It explores those on a team who seem to rise to the occasion and make a difference more than others. What is it about them? What do they do? How do they do it?

She defines impact players this way: Impact players wear opportunity goggles. They just add value.

Impact Players:

1.      Do the job that’s needed – while others do their job, impact players do the job that needs to be done.

2.     Step up, step back. They don’t wait to be asked.

3.     Finish stronger. They are completion freaks.

 The fundamental guiding belief for impact players is: I can improve this situation.

 Do you tend to make easy things difficult, or do you make hard work easier for everyone on your team? When things are tough and the load is heavy the most valuable players on teams make their work later. 169

 Commitment is best measured not by the time one is willing to give up, but by the energy one wants to put in. 273

 And in it, she gives this line, which is such a zinger:

 “Culture is created by the worst behavior leaders are willing to tolerate.”

Whew! That blew the tennis balls off of my walker. My goodness.

Leader: what are the behaviors you tolerate with your team?

For example, if you say that being punctual and on time is important in your company, but you consistently let it slide when your team arrives to work 20 minutes late and you don’t address it, you don’t actually want your team to be punctual.

You have created a culture of lateness because you tolerated the worst behavior around it.

But I also want to share something in what Wiseman included in the Appendix.

Side note: I hope you ALWAYS read the appendices and footnotes of books. The best books I’ve read, I’ve first learned about them listed in the footnote of another book I wrote.

It’s the bonus chapter of every book – and few people read them!

Well, in Appendix, she lists credibility killers.

If you are a new leader and you want to grow here are what NOT to do with your boss or the person you report to.

Credibility killers: 15 ways to alienate your boss

1.      Give your boss problems without solutions.

2.     Wait for your boss to tell you what to do.

3.     Make your boss chase you down and remind you what to do.

4.     Don’t worry about the big picture, just do your piece.

5.     Ask your boss about your next promotion or raise.

6.     Send along, meandering emails.

7.     Badmouth your colleagues, create drama, and stir up conflict.

8.     Surprise your boss with bad news at the last minute when nothing can be done.

9.     Ask to revisit decisions that have already been made.

10.   Leave out inconvenient facts and the other side of the story.

11.    Blame others for your mistakes.

12.   Agree to your boss’ face but disagreed behind his or her back.

13.    Tell your boss that something is not your job.

14.   Listen to your boss’s feedback, then ignore it.

15.   Show up late to meetings, multitask, interrupt others.

Leader: whether you are on by title or not, build credibility.

Put on opportunity goggles and add value, no matter where you are or what role you’re in.