Unambiguous Leaders Are Rare

"The enemy of accountability is ambiguity."

--Patrick Lencioni 

(C) Adobe Enterprise License

What does it mean to be personally ambiguous when you're in a position of responsibility?

And why are unambiguous leaders hard to find?

Before pursuing that last thought, let's begin with a definition of ambiguity to determine its opposite. Dictionaries define ambiguity as "any concept, idea, statement, or claim whose meaning, intention, or interpretation cannot be definitively resolved." 

Put simply, it means being vague or uncertain.

Writer Don Hermann explains that the "lack of clarity in communication, mission, and vision is nothing less than a productivity and performance killer. In short, ambiguity does nothing more than destroy profitability while protecting ineffective leaders."

Hermann underscores that ambiguity is not a leadership value--but dealing with ambiguity is. Facing uncertainty and lacking complete information is an ever-present reality. Gathering more data doesn't reduce or resolve ambiguity. At some point, hesitation only postpones critical choices, making them harder to implement. 

Our decisions will ultimately be a judgment call based on our values.

Yuval Levin reminds us that to govern is to make hard choices with incomplete information. "The pandemic shows there are no purely technical solutions for problems that demand political leadership," he says.

A study by Alexander Batsuk at Deloitte illustrates that skillfully dealing with ambiguity can help a leader succeed. "This quality deals with situations with limited information and uncertainty of outcomes in the absence of clear direction.

"On the other hand, those who lack in this area simply get paralyzed by uncertainty. A large part of the problem is social acceptance. We want to be respected by others and be perceived as fitting into the surrounding community. When you're ambiguous, there is the possibility of sounding 'neutral.' When you're clear, there is a possibility of being wrong. And who wants to be wrong," Bastuk concludes.

Observers of management behavior say that those who do their best to avoid personal ambiguity have the characteristics of honesty, decisiveness, competence, and being apolitical to the extent possible.

When Confucius says, "The moral virtue of the king is like the wind, and that of the people is like grass: whichever way the wind blows, the grass bends," he is trying to teach something about the importance of the leader's moral character. (Oxford University Press)

So why are unambiguous leaders rare? 

The answer correlates with a high percentage of the populace having low levels of self-awareness; many need help knowing who they are or what they believe.

In a series of surveys, 95 percent of respondents identified as self-aware, but only 10 to 15 percent were truly self-aware. 

Three reasons were given for this disconnect. First, we have blind spots. We're wired to operate on autopilot, unaware of how we're behaving and why. There's also the feel-good effect--we're happier when we see ourselves in a more positive light. That last trait is a "cult of self" courtesy of social media. (Insight, Currency Publishers) 

Oxford Languages defines self-awareness as "conscious knowledge of one's character, feelings, motives, and desires."    

Here's another perspective.

"Put simply, self-aware people can interpret their actions, feelings, and thoughts objectively," says Executive Coach Meredith Betz. "It's a rare skill, as many of us spiral into emotion-driven interpretations of our circumstances. Self-awareness is important because it allows leaders to assess their growth and effectiveness and change course when necessary," Betz adds.

Conversely, those with low self-awareness fail to hold themselves accountable, are dismissive of others, fail to consider the consequences of their actions, and tend to be judgmental. (PsychCentral.com)

Why or what?

One way out of the internal and external self-awareness dilemma is to switch from asking, "Why don't I speak up at meetings?" to "What can I do to overcome my fear of speaking up?" Psychologists say that "why" questions tend to deepen our negative thoughts. "What" questions move us toward particular outcomes. 

"Thinking about why one is the way one is may be no better than not thinking about oneself at all." ((J. Gregory Nixon and William Swann)

Beware experience and power.

Studies show that people only sometimes learn from experience. And just as experience can lead to a false sense of confidence about our performance, it can also make us overconfident about our self-knowledge. The more power a leader holds, the more likely they are to overestimate their skills and abilities. (Tasha Eurich, Harvard Business Review)

Professor James O'Toole suggests that as a leader's power grows, their willingness to listen shrinks, either because they think they know more than their employees or because seeking feedback comes at a cost they are unwilling to pay.

Therefore, understanding the rarity of unambiguous leaders leads us to a profound truth. Being unequivocal with others means first being unmistakable with ourselves.

Strategist.com

© Bredholt & Co.

  

 

Summer Sabbatical

(C) The Retirement Manifesto

To our readers:

I am taking time off to work on a book project. Therefore, Strategist Post will resume on 1 September 2023. 

Consider searching the Post archives by clicking on the link below.

www.StrategistBlog.com

Thank you, and have a safe and enjoyable summer. 

Russ Bredholt, Jr.

Summer Sabbatical

(C) The Retirement Manifesto

To our readers:

I am taking time off to work on a book project. Therefore, Strategist Post will resume on 1 September 2023. 

Consider searching the Post archives by clicking on the link below.

www.StrategistBlog.com

Thank you, and have a safe and enjoyable summer. 

Russ Bredholt, Jr.

Summer Sabbatical

(C) The Retirement Manifesto

To our readers:

I am taking time off to work on a book project. Therefore, Strategist Post will resume on 1 September 2023. 

Consider searching the Post archives by clicking on the link below.

www.StrategistBlog.com

Thank you, and have a safe and enjoyable summer. 

Russ Bredholt, Jr.

Calling All Self-Starters and Late Bloomers in the Class of 2023

"Hard work spotlights people's character: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."

--Samuel J. Ewing

(C) Admissionly.com

Whether to work from home, office or hybrid is a much-posed question by employers and employees. But, unfortunately, it's out of sequence. 

Steve Rattner writes, "The notion of flexible work is a form of white-collar privilege. Those who labor in factories, restaurants, or stores don't have the luxury of working from home."

Where to work is also the wrong question, at least initially. How to work and what kind are far more important inquiries. They are preferable to one about location.  

The idea of work begins with a sense of purpose and calling, not just employment. And it's in that province where identity becomes established. 

Here are four wells of thought that contribute to a deliberative response to calling and career:

Knowing who you are.

"People, by and large, become what they think of themselves," said American psychologist and philosopher William James. He rejected genetics (Sigmund Freud) and environment (Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner). Instead, James believed that we are a product of free will. We all have the option and ability to choose and control our thoughts. 

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." 

Dr. John Eliot says that every morning we have a choice to make. "We can either fill our minds with negative or positive thoughts--whichever ones we consistently choose determine how successful we will be in life."  

Like Mount Rushmore, those good and bad choices sculpt our beliefs, values, trustworthiness, and moral character--revealing who we are. Aristotle said, "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom."

Taking personal responsibility in today's culture stands out like a lantern in a darkened room. Therefore, holding yourself accountable for your actions, and exercising self-control, is an attractive quality for anyone looking to hire. 

Regardless of frustrations and disappointments, which are always with us, we must believe and act anyway.

Work is learned.

Here are four declarations to consider:

• First, a work ethic is a unique set of values determining how employees approach their work.
• Employees with strong work ethics are highly motivated and produce high-quality work.
• A good work ethic can be taught (learned) through productive behaviors. Employees like these exhibit model behavior for others to emulate. 
• The benefits are increased productivity and a respectable workplace. (Personio.com) 

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal described how employers, fed up with late arrivals and mobile phone distractions, are hiring older people. As a result, those over 55 are the fastest-growing segment of the workplace. 

Three-quarters of people 65 and older said that hard work is vital to them personally. Among 18-29-year-olds, 61% said hard work is very important. (The Wall Street Journal-NORC Survey)

"Managers and recruiters say that remote work made it tough for some young workers to find mentors and learn professional norms in the office," observes Julia Lamm, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. "As a result, many of these young workers struggle with resourcefulness, professional networking, and communications with clients and c0-workers,"  Lamm concludes. 

Nevertheless, despite the negative attention, Gen Z workers are making their presence known with ingenuity and hustle. Some are starting businesses and working long hours to make them go. These entrepreneurs are an encouraging look into the future.

Here's a small but valuable piece of practical advice shared with me: Learn to do one job that nobody can or wants to do but is important to the organization's success. 

Getting the right experiences.

Personal and professional development comes from experience (70%) and forms of learning such as seminars, reading, observation, and feedback. (30%). Not just any kind of experience will do. It must be the right kind coupled with takeaways from those experiences--which don't always show up immediately. 

Development requires insight from positive and negative encounters to get the most out of them. Something from those bumps on the head should make the pain worthwhile. And it's less costly to learn from someone else's mistakes. So take advantage. 

How to get a good experience? Start something. Fix or turn around something. Enlarge your responsibility. Take on special projects. Learn to endure hardships. (Center for Creative Leadership)

Consider serving on an in-person task force early in your career, even if it's outside your professional interests. Benefit from individuals who know when and how to speak, process, sit at a table, dress appropriately, and interact with colleagues. Regrettably, some participants are notable for the wrong reasons. Learn from them, too.

An ad hoc opportunity such as this is like getting an advanced emotional and social skills degree without the tuition.  

The contours of a successful life.

A tip for taking better pictures from a distance is not to zoom in, as it makes the photo grainy or blurry. There's no need to zoom in too soon. If it's safe, better to get closer to the subject to avoid compromising quality. The same holds true for envisioning one's life.

Over time, the contours of success come into focus through proximity to the right circumstances and engaging in healthy mental and physical practices. In addition, international travel for business or pleasure expands your horizons as cross-cultural knowledge is invaluable.  

You are rich if one person of integrity, humility, and sound judgment enters your life and stays there long enough to make a difference, often by listening and asking questions. All to assist in becoming more self-aware. Quoting Leonardo da Vinci, "The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions." 

A sensible definition of personal success comes from Marcus Buckingham, who wrote, "Success is not about money, title, or recognition. Instead, success is the ability to make and sustain a significant contribution."

Think about it. 

Regardless of the starting point--with self-knowledge, hard work, pacing, and a few breaks-- fulfillment is achievable no matter where you serve.  

Strategist.com

©  Bredholt & Co.

 

 

The Church in Transition and Change

"It has never stopped being under construction."

--Mylène Pardoen, Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris

(C) Cathedral of Notre Dame Bureau Bas Smets

A family trip to France in the summer of 1987 included the first of several visits over the years to Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the great marvels of French Gothic architecture. With 13 million tourists annually, the Cathedral is more popular than the Eiffel Tower, 15 minutes away.  

There was shock and sadness worldwide when news broke on 15 April 2019 of a massive fire engulfing one of France's most famous landmarks. The Cathedral's underlying oak tree frame, carved in AD 1163, was a source of vulnerability. 

The 850-year-old Gothic building's spire and roof collapsed, but the main structure, including the two bell towers, was saved. Thankfully, no one was killed, and no firefighter lost their lives in putting out the blaze. Observers noted that despite the long road ahead, there's reason for optimism.

The Associated Press recently reported that the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral is progressing quickly enough to allow its reopening to visitors and faithful at the end of 2024, less than 6 years after the fire destroyed the roof.

Tracking historical trends

The earliest archeologically identified Christian church is a house church (domus ecclesiae), the Dura-Europos church, founded between 233 and 256. (Graydon F. Snyder, 2003, Ante Pacem, Mercer University Press. p. 128.)  Since then, church properties worldwide — Byzantine and Romanesque, with pointed arches and vaulted ceilings, thatched roofs and no roofs, homes and storefronts, some even carved out of rock — have become places of assembly set aside for Christian worship.

Nearly one-third, or 31.2% of the world's eight billion population, is considered Christian. The term Christian encompasses a broad range of denominations, with Roman Catholicism the largest, with around 1.36 billion adherents. Protestants, Evangelicals, Orthodox, Anglicans, and many other sub-denominations are included in the count. (learnreligions.com; Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at USC; Pew Research Center)

According to an average of all 2021 Gallup polling, about three in four Americans said they identify with a specific religious faith. By far the largest proportion, 69%, identifies with a Christian religion, including 35% who are Protestant, 22% who are Catholic, and 12% who identify with another Christian faith or simply as a "Christian."

Twenty-one percent of Americans said they have no religious preference, and 3% did not answer the question.

Fifty years ago, in 1971, 90% of U.S. adults identified with a Christian religion, 6% with another religion, and 4% did not have a religious preference. Thus, much of the change in the U.S. has been a shift from Christian religions to no religion. 1

A precipice? 

Suppose you only read the news headlines about organized religion, not the stories themselves. In that case, it's possible to conclude that the church, especially in first-world areas like America, is a slow-motion version of the Cathedral spire and roof falling to the ground.

Here's a sampling from U.S. publications and research firms over the past three years:

• "U.S. Church Membership Falls Below Majority for First Time."--Gallup, 26 March 2021
• "About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are Religiously Unaffiliated."--Pew Research Center, 14 December 2021
• "The Pandemic May Be Ending, but the Church's Fight Is Just Beginning."--Christianity Today, 14 June 2022
• "Losing their religion: Why U.S. churches are on the decline."--The Guardian, 22 January 2023

Much, but not all, of the decline over the past 50 years resulted from a sharp drop in Catholic attendance after Vatican II. (Roger Finke, Ph.D., Penn State University) While the rise of the "nones," mostly among Millennials and Generation X, has gained attention, little notice has been paid to the other side of the faith spectrum.

A study published in early 2018 shows that "intense religion—strong affiliation, very frequent practice, literalism, and evangelicalism—is persistent, and in fact, only moderate religion is on the decline in the U.S." (Landon Schnabel, Indiana University; Sean Bock, Harvard University) 

Vitality is found in nondenominational churches. The 2020 U.S. Religious Census shows that those congregations increased by 4,000 since 2010 and rose by 6.5 million in attendance in that same period. A significant part of that growth comes from the Catholic-to-nondenominational pipeline and retention of children. (Ryan Burge, Ph.D., Eastern Illinois University)

The Atlantic reported in 2021 that Latino evangelicals are the fastest-growing segment of the evangelical community in the country. It also said that "Latino Protestants, in particular, have higher levels of religiosity"-with more frequent church attendance, prayer, and Bible study than White Protestants. 

A revival at Asbury University in Kentucky, which began in February of this year, is a reminder that studying religion is more prudent than predicting its future. "Religious history is shaped as much by sudden irruptions as long trajectories, as much by the mystical and personal as by the institutional and sociological," wrote Ross Douthat in the New York Times.

Ministry is (mostly) analog.

Though decreasing church participation pre-dates Covid-19 by at least a generation, there's no question that the pandemic is further restructuring relationships with houses of worship. 

"Churches waiting for more people to return on Sunday morning are still waiting," wrote Kate Shellnutt in Christianity Today. She added, "While overall reach has expanded, there's a segment of Christians who used to belong to a church community who aren't engaging at all anymore: 12% of formerly regular churchgoers say they're not attending in person or watching online." (Pew Research Center)

So why don't those who have resumed their everyday lives attend in person or virtually? It's a follow-up question to consider asking as a matter of concern. Although knowing why people returned — or never left — may hold greater value.  

Digital worship, like remote work and schooling, lessens the magnitude of a communal experience. 

"Virtual services, webcasting, and online Bible studies are certainly better than no religious participation. However, none is likely to be a fully adequate replacement for the in-person meetings and community, wrote Harvard professor Tyler J. VanderWeele, who studies these interactions. 

But, of course, health, job schedules, and caregiving are legitimate reasons for online worship. And that format helps avoid social isolation, an unhealthy state of being. 

Benefits of frequent service attendance

"We have to retrain people from the beginning on why you should bother to assemble," said Collin Hansen, who wrote Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ is Essential. 

Let's remind everyone that faith communities are sometimes disordered and filled with flawed people. Yet, changed lives speak of God's grace, meeting individuals where they are. Like the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Christian life is always under construction.

In addition to scriptural exhortation, pre-pandemic research from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and other sources reveals why frequent in-person service attendance is vital to wholeness and well-being: 2

o First, there's a closeness with God not always felt when alone. Forgiveness is a theme, and caring for others is a priority as needs are made known.

o A belief system offers clear moral guidance, creating relationships of accountability to reinforce positive behavior. Some religious communities can provide a social safety net that other institutions can't easily replace. 

o People who attended weekly religious services or practiced prayer and meditation in their youth reported greater life satisfaction in their twenties. For example, they were less likely to subsequently report depression, substance abuse, and premature sexual activity than people raised with less regular spiritual habits. They were also more likely to grow up happier, to be forgiving, to have a sense of purpose, and to volunteer.

o Multiple mental and physical health benefits correlate with attending church once a week or more, including reducing mortality by 20% to 30% over 15 years. In addition, people who participate at that frequency are significantly less likely to die from "deaths of despair" (suicides, drug overdose, or alcohol poisoning).  

o Those who attend services two to three times per month are generous givers. They are more charitable to the church, nonprofits, and secular institutions than those who don't attend or do so less often. 

Habits of the heart

While research shows improved personal health correlates with attending church regularly, one's spiritual well-being may be the more critical beneficiary of frequent in-person attendance. 

The 19th-century English preacher Charles H. Spurgeon, whose church, London's Park Street Chapel, suffered through the Broad Street cholera outbreak of 1854, reminds us it's not about music, presentation, or architecture. 

Instead, Rev. Spurgeon said, "Go where the gospel is preached and go often."

1 National trends don't necessarily imply the same positive or negative trend in a particular location. In addition, nationwide data can differ from specific areas for cultural, demographic, or political reasons. A recent Wall Street Journal/NORC study showing patriotism, religion, and hard work in decline in the U.S. is an example of that phenomenon.

2 Findings were published in the following sources:  Journal of the American Medical Association, American Journal of Epidemiology, USA Today, Christianity Today, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Lake Institute, Edge Foundation, and The Heritage Foundation. 

Strategist.com

© Bredholt & Co.

 

Is Truth Getting Harder to Find?

"I'm not upset that you lied to me. I'm upset that from now on, I can't believe you."

--Frederich Neitzsche 

(C) Getty Images

A culture of ambiguity

Why is it becoming so difficult to believe anyone? Are a proliferation of opinions and speculations undermining our ability to sort through all we see and hear? Would see and hearing less help? 

"Whatever the topic, we're bombarded with polarizing news and social media. Many people cope with the uncertainty--and fear produced by it--by placing 'trust' in the 'leaders' they see as able to cut through the noise and provide guidance around what to believe and what to do. 

"It's easier to trust a single person (politician, podcast host, social media influencer, etc.) and follow their lead versus evaluating every issue oneself," noted Soren Kaplan in Inc. Magazine. 

Delegating judgment to a single filter (individual or group) simplifies life but simultaneously invites the potential for disappointment if the filter can't be trusted. Even amidst the noise, we must know who and what to believe, whether human or artificial communication. 

Discernment makes that possible. 

Institutional trust in decline

Is there a connection between the mistrust in media and the government? 

"Journalists and politicians have become ensnared in a symbiotic web of lies that misleads the public," contends Paul H. Weaver, a former political scientist at Harvard University. 

Just 7% of Americans have "a great deal" of trust and confidence in the media, and 27% have "a fair amount." Meanwhile, 28% of U.S. adults say they have little confidence, and 38% have none in newspapers, TV, and radio. (Gallup 2022)

Similar results show up in polling on trust in government. Americans continue to lack faith in the federal government, with low trust in all three branches. Gallup previously reported that trust in the federal government's judicial branch has cratered in the past two years; it now sits at 47%, below the majority level for the first time in Gallup's polling history. 

At 43%, trust in the executive branch is just three percentage points above its record low from the Watergate era. Americans are even less trusting in the legislative branch, at 38%, but this figure has been as low as 28% in the past. (Gallup 2022)

Watch what you say

Why do people knowingly lie? Because in the short-term, they think they can get away with it, and often do.  

In his book, Why Leaders Lie, University of Chicago professor, Dr. John J. Mearsheimer, says that before defining lying, spinning, and concealment, it's necessary to understand deception and truth telling--the direct opposite of deception:

Truth-telling. When an individual does their best to state the facts and tell a story straightforwardly and honestly. A truth-teller resolves biases or selfish interests to report relevant facts fairly.

Deception. Where intentional steps are taken to prevent others from knowing the whole truth--as that individual understands it--about a particular matter. 

Lying. When a person makes a statement that they know or suspect to be false in the hopes others will think it to be true. But lying is not only about the truthfulness of particular facts; it can also involve the disingenuous arrangement of points to tell a fictitious story.

Spinning. Telling a story that emphasizes specific facts and links them together in ways that play to their advantage--while downplaying or ignoring inconvenient facts. The American Bar Association stipulates that "a lawyer shall not knowingly make a false statement of fact or law to a  tribunal." Still, spinning is routine behavior on behalf of their clients.

Concealment. Withholding information that might undermine or weaken one's position.

(C) Shruti Sharma

Operating under pressure

Dana Brownlee makes a case for being as truthful as possible by showing the damage leaders do to themselves, their employees, and the company when distortions appear. Her article in Forbes Magazine highlights the following:

1. Lying erodes trust. For leaders, credibility is everything, and lying is simply the kryptonite that destroys a team's confidence in their leader.

2. If people think you're lying, they may assume things are worse than they actually are. 

3. Employees don't respect liars. Associates don't like being lied to. 

4. If you lie about the small things, colleagues may distrust you with the big stuff. When stakes are the highest, goodwill may not be there when needed most.

5. Lying encourages others to lie. Normalizing this type of behavior could come back to haunt you.

How to be transparent when entertaining questions from employees--

• Tell them the truth.
• Tell them you don't know, but you'll find out.
• Tell them that you can't tell them.

"To err is human."

As the famous physicist Stephen Hawking said: "One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn't exist. Without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist."    

Nonetheless, a bad character is redeemable and behavioral consistency is achievable. More than simply change, transformation is the way to reach our highest potential. That's how admired qualities like self-awareness, courage, and gratitude are acquired. 

Additionally, any position of responsibility requires humility and good judgment, as no one can access all the information needed to make decisions or flawlessly interpret the times. 

Albert Schweitzer once wrote, "The great enemy of morality is indifference." Thankfully, many do care enough to embrace honesty, which is more than not lying, deceiving, or cheating. It also means showing respect toward others. 

An honorable life with guiding principles makes reality unambiguous. And truth easier to find.  

Strategist.com

©  Bredholt & Co.