Do they look in the mirror or window?
We see this in all aspects of our lives, from what we do in our communities, to what we do at work
This week’s blog is going to be a bit shorter than most. The main reason is that I am fighting off pneumonia, but also because it is an easy-to-understand clear point. We all know people that need to be reminded of this model. Unfortunately, we see it with our politicians and other business leaders on a daily business.
Instead of outlining the problem, we are going straight in and providing the solution.
The Window and Mirror Leadership Model
Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great, writes extensively about this philosophy. You can read a good summary at this link, and in an even shorter version right here with these 2 points.
Good leaders look out the window to give credit to those responsible for positive outcomes
Good leaders look in the mirror to assign blame for negative outcomes
When you see a person sitting in a position of authority do the opposite, they are the opposite of a good leader.
What can we do about it?
Lead by example.
We need to make sure the team can see the right way to do things. It’s not only the compliments that we give others for good outcomes. More importantly, it’s that everyone hears you take the blame for things that didn’t work out.
One of two things will happen:
The person you are trying to influence picks up on your examples and starts to imitate them.
They dismiss them, and your actions magnify the differences between good and bad leadership without pointing a finger.
Keep this in mind, leadership is not a position. Leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less. Whether you are a team member, a voter, or a volunteer, you can be a person of influence. You may not have the authority directly, but you can influence others by leading a life of high integrity.