The 7 Deadly Sins of Leadership: Sin #1 – Relevancy

Most of you reading this are familiar with the phrase, “The Seven Deadly Sins” as they are commonly referred to. Such sins include: greed, lust, gluttony, pride, wrath, sloth, and envy. I do not wish to compose an article about those sins. Rather, over the course of the next several weeks, I am going to address another list of deadly sins – The Seven Deadly Sins of Leadership! Such pitfalls are ones that a great leader must avoid. There are many leadership mistakes that are worthy of mention but are survivable…and then there are the ones I consider “deadly.”

We learned that General Motors was recently forced to issue a massive recall of hundreds of thousands of vehicles, yet, it’s stock is strong and there is no concern for GM’s or their CEO, Mary Barra’s future. Now, compare that negative news with Donald Sterling, the longtime owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. All of those years of successful ownership status were instantly washed-away by an indiscreet and undisciplined tongue during private conversation. Or, consider the former CEO of Mozilla, Brendan Eich. He was considered a smart and highly successful leader of his company. His mistake was writing a $1,000 check in support of California’s Proposition 8. No one knows, no one cares, right? Wrong. Once the mainstream media caught-wind of his fiscal support for Prop-8, he was forced to resign. The modern age of hyper-political correctness can be extremely toxic for today’s business leaders. Leadership in the modern business-world exists in quite a toxic environment. My goal is to help keep those toxins from poisoning your future….so let’s go!

The first of seven deadly sins of leadership is RELEVANCY.

General Motors CEO, Mary Barra’s position is safe and secure. She admitted to the faulty ignition switch that can inadvertently turn-off the passenger’s side airbag. It’s been reported that more than a dozen deaths have resulted from that faulty ignition switch. However, Barra was hailed as a competent leader and was even praised for her handling of the crisis. The recall will cost GM hundreds of millions of dollars and several dead costumers. Yet, she keeps her job with praise! Compare that to Brendan Eich’s sending $1,000 check to a cause he privately supported in which no one was killed or injured, yet he was tossed out of his job. So why the dramatic contrast? One word – RELEVANCY. Mozilla is not in the business to form or persuade public opinion with respect to gay rights or gay marriage. And the thousand dollar check revealed a breach in relevancy as perceived by the stockholders. You may wonder, how do you stay relevant?

1. Know your focus. Know your business, your customers, your bottom-line, and especially your job!

2. Stay away from the flash points that stoke the emotional fires on both sides of your customer base. I’m not advocating a “non-involvement” status. A leader who serves meals regularly in a soup kitchen for the homeless will be perceived as both a responsible and compassionate leader by insiders and outsiders. That is a win/win situation. But political activism or using one’s clout to go against the flow of public opinion – even if the public is wrong – only brings unnecessary strife and the charge of irrelevancy.

3. Stay on the trail. I am a hunter and in my younger days I spent hours walking through the fields for pheasant. I had many a great dog in the field with me, and watching a well-trained bird dog is more enjoyable than just about anything. But watching a dog lose the scent and go after gophers, rabbits, or others only created confusion and much tension between the hunters. You’re the leader because you have the nose for the scent of success. Don’t lose that scent.

A leader is allowed broad latitude within the context of the specific business to make mistakes and even lose ground financially; but, a leader is NOT permitted to err with respect to issues outside the box of the perceived purpose of the company. Civil rights issues trump corporate strategies. If you as leader are going to blunder, do so within the context of your business, not outside. As a leader, know what your focus should be and don’t get sidetracked…stay relevant!