John Hersey Leadership Blog

A true leader thinks and feels as he says and does, or as a great leadership speaker once said: “Authenticity occurs when the head and the heart meet at the lips, true leadership takes place when what we think and what we feel is congruent with what we say and do.”

We’ve most certainly heard about it and sadly, many of us have seen it happen: a “leader” having a custom-made desk installed in his office the same week he is laying off employees, and he even has the nerve to ask the personnel that is left to accept more responsibility in view of the staff shortage and to save money.

Can you see the huge conflict this “leader’s” message expresses?  It is such poor behavior coming from the company’s top levels.  Obviously, this person was passionate about cutting back expenses that affected everyone but him.     

When something like this happens, when the messages from the organization’s “leaders” are so clearly opposite to their actions, the only possible outcome is a culture of distrust, one where fear rules and that chokes the employees’ “can do” attitude.

This kind of paradoxical leadership creates a spread of dreary behavior and resentfulness that disintegrates a company from the inside out.

Every company leader and CEO should wear a certified badge of authenticity with the legend: “I say what I mean and act as I say.”  And to be able to deserve this badge and kiss the corporate lack of authenticity goodbye, you, as a leader must:

-      Believe in truthfulness.  Does the annual report describe the company you run?  Is your company true to what is said about it in articles, internal communications, and description at company meetings and events?  If not, set the record straight and show your authenticity.

-      Have vision.  Do you communicate a vision that your employees don’t support? Do you reward behaviors that are in conflict with the culture you desire for the company?

-      Handle inconsistency.  Even more, when an inconsistency is identified, do you take action in a prompt, honest, and clear manner to correct the detrimental message that was set loose?

Leadership authenticity is about being authentic, trustworthy, and genuine.  Being authentic is about knowing and being true to who you are, not who you pretend to be.  Sadly, many “leaders” have been playing the role for so long that they have no idea who they really are.

If you are driven by percentages, maybe this will convince you: 40% of corporate leaders would change careers if they could keep their current income level.  Maybe they are tired of not being true to themselves or of being forced by a job or culture to be someone they’re not.   

The reality is that if you wish to be a winner in the long run, you must be authentic.  So, get real!

Yes, it is no longer enough to see someone’s resume to know if he or she is the best person for that meeting planner or assistant’s job.

Long gone are the days when people were rotated through a position to find a match, or when a competitor’s star player signed on for the big bucks only to fail miserably in meeting very high expectations.

A bad hire today implies such high costs, that the future of a company may very easily be in the hands of the person in charge of hiring the best candidate for the job.  

Today, you have to look beyond the resume when hiring a leader, because normally that piece of paper is more filled with air than a hot air balloon. 

Presently, you have to hire leaders by measuring their cultural compatibility.  Instead of regarding only a certain set of skills, first you have to consider the person’s behavior and attitude towards the meeting planner’s environment.

In fact, there are 4 criteria that are crucial when hiring or promoting someone to a meeting planner or assistant’s job:

Attitude

It is not easy, but is a must, to identify a “can do” leadership attitude.  This requires observation, open-ended scenario questions, and self-confidence demonstrations.

Behavior

This one also requires lots of observation and assessment, because it impacts everyone within the company. 

You have to decide if you need an aggressive, results-oriented, fast-paced leader, or a stable, dependable, and caring one; this based on what the meeting planner or assistant’s job requires, not on your personal preference.

Competencies and cultural compatibility

Every job needs a given set of competencies.  Define the competencies and behavioral attributes that best fit the position and see which candidates have them. 

 The candidate who best fits the competencies needed is the most compatible with your company.

 Skills

You should hire a skilled meeting planner or assistant, but do not make his or her skills the decisive factor. 

Most candidates will be able to learn most skills; however, not everyone is capable of changing or learning a new leadership attitude, behavior, or competency.

A leader should develop a system that measures a combination of these 4 criteria to find the right candidate. 

This process is so vital that many companies hire a renowned leadership speaker and consultant to guide them through it as well as to help them design the right behavior, values and competency assessments, to conduct email and face-to-face interviews, and to thoroughly analyze resumes when hiring and promoting individuals, all of this in order to lower the chances of making a bad hire.

Leaders know that to get what they want they need to take aim at the goal, passionately pursue it and every day set an intention to focus on it.

Contagious Leaders see their primary role as providing clarity in an increasingly unclear world. These leaders practice being clear in vision, setting expectations and demonstrating desired behaviors.