A Leader Who Was Not Trusted
In 1998, a company’s executive leadership team was meeting to begin the process of setting up its automatic phone system. This particular project required the writing of multiple scripts and the subsequent implementation of its entire messaging system. Included in this process was the welcome message and then multiple prompts based upon what a customer needed.
For example, “To make a payment, press 1. To speak to a customer service representative, press 2. To report a missing or stolen card, press 3.” and so on and so on.
When the manager asked for a volunteer to head up this project, a young man raised his hand. When doing so, the other leaders looked at each other with raised eyebrows and serious doubt. It was obvious and uncomfortable. Perhaps you’ve been in a similar meeting.
The manager reluctantly allowed the young man to lead the project but assigned a very skilled leader to work alongside him as back-up.
The young man who raised his hand was me. I was A LONG way from becoming Brian Dodd On Leadership! Because of some previous failed initiatives, the other leaders lacked confidence in me. They did not trust me, particularly my attention to detail and follow-through skills.
Recently, I thought about that humbling experience 25 years ago.
A Tale Of Two Leaders
This past Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Cleveland Browns 47-42. It was a high-scoring, thrilling game.
Rather than choosing to punt, on four different occasions each team went for it on fourth-down. Even though these were high-risk decisions, the Chargers converted each of their four opportunities into first-downs. Why was head coach Brandon Staley so aggressive? One reason may be the Browns were scoring so often he had to go for it. But the main reason is because of Staley’s confidence in the person executing the fourth-down plays, 2nd-year superstar quarterback Justin Herbert.
Tom Brady once said, “To me what separates really good players from great players – executive well under pressure. The biggest game. The biggest stage. That’s what playing quarterback is all about.” And Justin Herbert knows how to play quarterback.
He finished the game completing 26 or 43 passes for 398 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Conversely, with 2:55 left in the game and the Browns facing a 3rd-down and 9 yards to go for a first-down, the team inexplicably ran the ball instead of having quarterback Baker Mayfield try to complete a pass. The play was unsuccessful and the team was forced to punt. It would appear the team’s head coach Kevin Stefanski does not have nearly the confidence in his quarterback as the Chargers do in Herbert.
If this is truly the case, I can relate to Mayfield. I’ve been there.
A Leader Trusts You When…
So how do you know when a leader trusts you?
The leader trusts you when they assign you important and complex items in high-pressure situations.
The Chargers put the ball in Herbert’s hands on four fourth-down plays and he executed each time. The Browns put the ball in the running back’s hands with less than three minutes to go.
The Chargers and head coach Brandon Staley trusted Herbert and justifiably so? Does your organization have an equal amount of trust in you?
The Top 60 Leadership Quotes From 2021 Part 1 is my latest ebook. For many entering a post-pandemic environment, leadership looks completely different than the pre-pandemic world. People are more broken now. They are more uncertain. Fear and anxiousness are unwelcome constant companions. Cultures are more unhealthy. Relationships are more dysfunctional. Hope seems to be in short supply. Every day seems to bring a new hacking, natural disaster, or unexpected calamity.
Therefore, the fundamentals of leadership are more important than ever. The quotes in this book deal with the basics of leadership. If you want to be the best leader you can possibly be, click HERE or on the image provided to download this FREE resource. The lessons learned from last year, if applied, will sustain you for years to come.