The leadership dilemma: hypocrisy, integrity and the power aphrodisiac

Introduction

It is common practice that as a year nears its end and the Christmas season sets in, many people use the period to reflect and commune with their dear ones. It is unclear if this practice is based on a proven theological, philosophical, traditional, or scientific foundation; nonetheless, it is an exercise that is upheld by many in different ways. For example, some people go on retreats (spiritual or otherwise), others go on holidays to unwind, while some put pen to paper and write down their experiences in journals or essays. Like many, I also take time to reflect on my experiences each year (positive or negative) and identify what lessons and new insights I may have garnered. All to help improve me as a person. Often, it is an exercise I keep personal and share only with my greatest critic (my wife) and sometimes a few peers whom I consider to be mentors. Soliciting for their feedback also helps me to clarify any fuzzy areas that may have emerged during the reflexive process. This time, however, I wish to make an exception and share my reflection for this year with you.

My Reflections

There are two things I wish to share with the reader. These two things are my conceptual reconstructions of previously held ideas through the process of my transition from “what I thought it meant” to “what it now means” to me 

• The concept of "leadership and power"

My previous understanding of leadership is that it is a process of social influence that maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal. However, along with leadership comes power, which is the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. According to French and Raven (1959), [What keeps leaders up at night] there are seven powers that leaders can use for “good” or “evil.” These forms of power are listed as legitimate (deserved higher positions), coercive (creating fear/bullying), expert (based on competence and experience), related to reward (raises, promotions, awards), informational (short term, does not build credibility), connection (influence by proxy-political, coalitions), and referent (based on authentic virtues/values like honesty, integrity, reliability). It is this deconstruction of the different forms of power and the way they can be used by those in the position of leadership that has reconstructed my understanding of leadership, resulting in my first insight. Especially in the light of events I experienced professionally this past year and how some of the powers described above were (mis)used by those in positions of leadership i.e. Power and leadership

• The concept of "diversity and inclusivity"

My second insight was about inclusivity and diversity, and especially the hypocrisy of corporate and learning organizations claiming to create safe, diverse, and inclusive work environments. What I have learned, and contrary to (my) previously held beliefs, was that many organizations and their leaders have fallen short of creating such #inclusive and #diverse workplace environments. They have also failed to move the diversity agenda beyond gender, to include those with (in)visible disabilities, different sexual orientations, ages, racial-, ethnic- and religious backgrounds [#UsToo] This, in part, is due to organizations’ lack of a good understanding of the problem, a clear vision on what to transform, and a concrete strategy to effect needed changes. [A strategic approach to diversity]

Lessons learned

Here are 3 lessons that I am taking away from this year’s experiences

Lesson 1: Compassion

When you are on the receiving end of misfortune (legitimate or otherwise), you expect that your peers would have your back. (i.e., loyalty). Sadly, that is not always the case. In such situations, those you hope you can rely upon often turn a blind eye or, better still, exploit the situation to their advantage. What you see is the unfairness in the way things are made to appear as well as the hypocrisy in the intentions of those who present themselves as mediators and organizational leaders. In my opinion, earning a reputation as a fair and balanced leader requires the correct application of the principles of #equity and #equality in managerial decision making. It also involves #integrity, #openness, and #transparency in every stage of the process by a fair manager or leader. My major lesson here is that despite one's knowledge and experiences, we can maximize and only control those actions within our direct circle of influence. Said differently, whatever the situation, fair or not, one should always focus on the true north of our moral compass and stay true to oneself.

Lesson 2: Advocacy 

Another thing I learned from this year is a reconceptualization of advocacy, which I have coined the “leaders creed”: Every person owes the other a #responsibility to speak up when they witness that “other” being abused or maltreated. Failing to do so in such a situation, and turning one's head the other way doesn’t make the abuse disappear. It just makes one a complacent bystander. Feeling complacent and failing to act makes one only as accountable as the perpetrator of the injustice meted out to the victim. For if you are not part of the solution, then you must be part of the problem. The (perceived) need to act and stand up on behalf of the other is called #advocacy. The courage and motivation to act on behalf of the other, consistently and even in the face of pushbacks, demonstrates #integrity. The sense that we must advocate for everyone in our community regardless of (dis)ability, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual, or religious orientation is what defines our social and moral responsibility. Standing up and advocating for others, even in the face of pushbacks, is, in my opinion, what #authentic and compassionate leaders do!

Lesson 3: Integrity

Integrity, simply stated, is doing the right thing every time, all the time, especially when no one is watching. [professional integrity] For leaders with integrity, they know that this attribute is an essential aspect of their identity. They are aware that it has far-reaching consequences for what they stand for, the teams they lead, and the services they provide. In my opinion, two main prerequisites for promoting and sustaining integrity in corporate workplaces are to have psychological safety and compassion within the organizational culture. Such a culture is responsive to situations where integrity is lacking, encourages members to “speak-up” proactively (without blame or shame), and also allows for opportunities to restore integrity where it is found to be broken. Bringing #integrity back into the workplace demands a clear strategic #vision from leaders, a just system of #accountability, good #governance and more interprofessional collaboration. [norms of a company]

#Equality is treating each other as equals; #Equity is providing each other with equal opportunities; #Leadership is balancing equality and equity and doing a darn good job at it!

In conclusion,

Based on my experiences this year (2019), I would argue that there is (still) a dire need for #psychological safety and equitable practices in our academic and work environments. These environments need to be inclusive and embrace diversity. They also have to be receptive to the wealth of experience within their reach and make use of them responsibly. Those in positions of leadership need to lead by example, authentically and create spaces where frontline employees are welcome to speak up and have open and safe conversations. We have to frown at hypocrisy, nepotism, misogynism, racism, and sexism that continue to ruin many organizations and damage talented and loyal individuals. Through this process, we can start to eradicate the swamp of toxic work environments in several organizations. [Modern-day leadership]

Thanks for reading!