© ra2 studio | stock.adobe.com

Ahh — being right vs. doing right, the millennia-year-old conundrum. As a corporate leader, especially middle management, you can often find yourself in the position to shift blame when things go wrong or take credit for being a capable leader when things go right.

But in a worst-case scenario, does that rationale resolve the issue or exacerbate it? In this article I’ll lay out the debate for why it is important to focus on being more proactive, by doing right, in your leadership role. Let’s dive in!

Being Right, Never Wrong

In a recent coaching session with one of my clients, she revealed that she faced an interesting challenge from one of her managers.

It had recently come to light that there was a serious issue with one of the processes the organization had been using. During a discussion with one of the managers directly connected to this area, his only and immediate reaction was to take the offense.

What was his only concern during this major problem-solving moment? He wanted it to be made abundantly clear that this issue was no fault of his own.

Now, it is important for me to note here, that my client is an upper-level manager. She is a leader of leaders and has a pool of managers that report to her on a daily basis. In her position, she is often the judge and juror, so her priority is remaining solution-oriented.

The manager, let’s call him Jim, was only interested in saving face, and could offer little to no value towards a workable solution. Despite spending quite some time reiterating that it didn’t matter who was to blame, he would not budge.

She became rightfully frustrated. At this critical moment when staff, colleagues and the company were the most dependent on him, he had chosen to effectively make himself redundant in this situation.

This is a common issue in business: leaders like Jim often get caught up in saving face by trying to remain in the right vs. doing right. But this is a backward approach. Resolution can only start with a solution. So, in my client’s case, she was still left with the burn of fixing a situation without the support of her staff member.

Where Did Things Go Wrong?

There are two issues at play here. Allow me to break them down for you:

1. Protect Yourself Syndrome — This is one of the worst diseases that can infect corporate culture. Symptoms fall in only the defense category, with popular statements like, “It wasn’t me,” “It couldn’t be me,” “It isn’t my job,” and “It won’t ever be me.”

The person or persons infected with this malady spend their time covering for themselves and casting blame on others. Side effects from this syndrome are even worse. They lead to long-term issues like operational silos, distrust and an overall lack of employee engagement and success.

2. Lack of Self-Esteem — Another dangerous disease found in the corporate world is lack of self-esteem in a leader. Though not as contagious. The persons with this ailment are often the weakest. They refuse to admit a mistake because of the unnatural fear that they will be seen as less than. Side-effects include limited focus, distrust, anger, and impeded success.

In both cases, the prevailing factor is that neither practice is solution-oriented. Instead, they only delay resolutions and waste valuable company time on empty platitudes.

Doing the Right Thing

A good leader must display confidence, clarity and rationale to effectively lead their team. The only antidote for the diseases outlined above is to practice self-awareness. It starts with recognizing when ego takes over and responding by nipping it in the bud.

As much as we would like to pretend that we are perfect, mistakes can and will happen on the job — it is inevitable. But how you choose to react to the situation can make or break your job, your company, and your team.

This is where I remind you, no one is perfect. It is important to swallow this bitter pill as it sets realistic expectations that allow you, as a leader, to be more fluid when things flounder. Blame only leads to a dead end.

As a leader, we must work with our employees, management or otherwise, to be proactive instead of reactive. You need to call out these maladies, refute them, and stop them in their tracks. A winning culture can only develop when doing right remains the catalyst of all that we do.

MANA welcomes your comments on this article. Write to us at [email protected].