You might expect this quote to come from the lips of a sage whispered centuries ago or perhaps from the Dalai Lama or Gandhi. When I read it again recently, I couldn’t remember who said it. More on that later.
Do you believe today’s C Suite occupants understand the concept that with great power comes the responsibility of using it wisely? With today’s electronic world shaping and re-shaping civilization (bold but true statement), do those who wield such tremendous influence understand the personal accountability that accrues to their position, stature and status? I remember hearing Jackie Freiberg, co-author of Nuts! (story of Southwest Airlines) speak one time and she said something I will remember forever, “One of the most important roles of the CEO is to create the environment where others can thrive.” Thrive, not just survive.
We all know that the demands and expectations of leadership, particularly the CEO, are vast. The universe of accomplishments required of the CEO can only be done through the efforts of others. Yet the further one moves up the power pyramid, the more disconnected the peak is from the people who make it happen every day. Staying connected allows the leader to have perspective and direct unfettered “people intelligence” that is essential to understanding “what” is working in the field. That direct connection to your staff is one of the most important ingredients to understanding how to create the “thrive” environment.
So how do you stay connected to the people as CEO or leader? First, you have to see it as a priority. I knew as CEO and now coach my clients that anything you need to make happen needs to be seen as a major priority AND then you need schedule time for it. Put it on your calendar, it’s more likely to get done that way.
Second, find out who the informal and formal leaders and opinion leaders are within your organization and develop a trusting relationship with them. I found those are the ones who are most likely to give you the real scoop. Watch out for personal biases, but if you focus on building trust, this will be less of an issue. Talk to them and ask them for help.
Third, do you remember, MBWA? It still works. MBWA = Management By Walking Around. Get out of your office and get into the operations and talk to the folks who sweat for you every day. Set up informal “town halls” to ask questions, but also expect the first few won’t be much of a real dialogue. Your “peeps” have to trust your first, for anything more than superficial questions.
Creating the environment for others to thrive means engaging your employees personally and directly. Once a leader harnesses the power from information gathered at the source needed to create that “thrive” environment, then they in turn can be powerful and make wiser choices for their company. Now that’s the responsible use of power.
The quote came from the original comic book Spiderman in 1963, written by Stan Lee. Go Spidey!