Facing Up to Leadership Responsibilities

Sen. Barbara Boxer went to a book signing under a blanket in the back seat of a car. She scheduled book signings in place of meeting with her constituents during the August recess. Rep. Gene Green demands all attendees show proof of identity at his town hall meeting. He authored a bill that would eliminate identity check of all voters. Shelia Lee Jackson took a phone call in the midst of a question at a town hall meeting. Rep. Silvestre Reyes held his town hall meeting by phone to avoid face-time with his constituents. But it isn’t just politicians who dodge the responsibility of leadership. Presidents, CEOs, vice presidents, chairpersons, and directors don’t always step up to the plate when the going gets tough. In The Anatomy of Courage, Lord Moran says “…a man [and woman] is guilty of cowardice when he [or she] displays ‘an unsoldierlike regard for his personal safety in the presence of the enemy’ by shamefully deserting his post or laying down his arms.” We find cowardice behavior in leaders when they are faced with moral challenges by the common folk, much less an enemy.

We are familiar with the fight or flight syndrome when we meet controversy or threat. Running and hiding from leadership responsibilities demonstrates insecurity. We undermine our own leadership capacity before followers, peers, and other leaders. I grew up seeing confrontation as a negative experience. Through my life journey, I have learned to reframe confrontation into a positive experience. To engage has become the third and preferred option to fight or flight, unless the enemy has a weapon. As a leader, rather than asserting my rank, authority, status, power, hubris, or cowardice, I have found that listening has acted to disarm. It levels the playing ground and shows dignity and respect for others’ concerns.

About ten years ago, I was going through a really tough time that required moral leadership with an apparent price. I, too, wanted to run and hide without facing the problem. It was apropos that a Ziggy Cartoon appeared in the midst of my conundrum. At the bottom of a stairway, Ziggy was looking up at the long, hard climb. The caption was It’s not what you face, it’s what you face up to that matters. We talk about courage all the time. However, courage is hard to come by, since it is not without risks or loss. With prayer and fortitude, I found the courage to take a stand for a young woman who had been abused by our leader. I was never promoted again. More importantly, she has excelled in her career and has taken the lead by stepping up to the plate.

It is easy to be a leader when most everyone likes you, while deflecting problems or challenges to lieutenants to take care of. Too often we associate leadership with popularity or better yet today, celebrity status. Authentic leadership calls us to take risks and be available to those we serve. Romanticizing leadership with our followers blindly obeying and following our vision is a false premise and leads to malignant narcissism. Most of a leader’s time is spent in the trenches dealing with challenges, moral dilemmas, and leadership conundrums. Develop the courage to face up to your leadership responsibilities.