Leadership Hypocrisy?

The effective leader will be interested in something that may appear very trivial to “non leaders.” For example, many of us have worked in organisations that proclaim:

• “We value our staff”
• "We are an equal opportunities employer”
• “We value diversity.”
  
  

Picture now a wet, cold and dark winter morning, a 6 am early morning shift for the cleaner who parks her car in the staff car park 200 yards from the staff entrance. As she fights her way through the cold wind and rain to the entrance she cannot help but notices the empty car park spaces reserved for Directors and Chief Executive, positioned immediately outside the main entrance. She cannot help thinking the mission statement somehow just does not ring true. The effective leader will be interested in the feelings of that cleaner and even if the leader cannot solve the parking problem, the fact the he or she is interested at all, will spread around the organisation quicker than the speed of light. Quite often the leader will also solve the problem of the car parking as well. Small things matter – leadership is not only about the big picture.

trevor.simplicity@gmail.com