THE #1 MISTAKE NEW LEADERS MAKE THE "SAVIOR" SYNDROME!

THE #1 MISTAKE NEW LEADERS MAKE -?THE "SAVIOR" SYNDROME!?

These days it seems every time we hear about Twitter and Elon Musk, the news seems to be negative: How people are quitting or being fired in mass to be rehired later. How he is taking away free lunch, how the business is hemorrhaging money and how Elon is trying to save the day.....

A common mistake I see new leaders making when joining a team, an organization, or a government is the "Savior" Syndrome. The Savior Syndrome is the perception that my role is to fix things, people and others.?

You hear them say" It is Mess"... "It is terrible"... "It is awful... What new leaders don't recognize is the impact of their words and actions on others who have been there before they even arrived, have pride in their work, and who will be there probably after they leave.?

What is the "Savior Syndrome"??

The Savior Syndrome or Complex is a psychological construct which makes a person feel the need to save other people or a situation all the times. This person has a strong tendency to seek situations or reframing existing situations as being a "Mess" so they can be the hero who fixes it, feel good about themselves and be appreciated by others.?

Why do new leaders get the "Savior Syndrome"??

There are many sides to a Savior Syndrome and it has many roots. One of its roots, in my experience with new leaders, consists in the belief that the savior has and that goes something like this:?

“If I always point out the dire situation, I will get the attention I deserve, be the hero to fix it, feel valuable, and have a happy life.”?

This is of course a nice fairytale and never goes this way. More commonly, it goes the opposite way, and it gets worse over time: the more the new leader points out and finds faults in the team, the process, the organization,.... the more the rest of the team shy away from him/her, feel alienated by the new leader who eventually becomes isolated and unappreciated. The exact opposite of what they are seeking in the first place.?

A common mistake I see new leaders making when joining a team, an organization, or a government is the "Savior" Syndrome. The Savior Syndrome is the perception that my role is to fix things, people and others.?

You hear them say" It is Mess"... "It is terrible"... "It is awful... What new leaders don't recognize is the impact of their words and actions on others who have been there before they even arrived and who will be there probably after they leave.?

WHAT ARE THE ANTIDOTES FOR SAVIOR SYNDROME??

1. Lead Self First: Look in the mirror first. Review your recent interactions and meetings with others. Are you looking for faults and problems or are you being a positive offer of help??
2. Lead with Purpose: Recognize that is it not about you! As a leader your role is to help others fulfill on the mission and the vision.?
3. Lead Others with Appreciative Inquiry:?Be curious in your discovery process: "I am curious to learn about what has been accomplished so far " versus "look how bad it is... " and the why behind why things have been done a certain way. Now sometimes you have to point out the leaks in a boat, but you can do it with respect to others to ensure buy-in and support.?
4. Look for Successes not Just Failures:?We tend to see what we are looking for. We will only see failures if that is what we are looking for. Look for the successes too. ?
5. Show Respect to Others' Hard Work and Accomplishments: Be an additive force. A new leader stands on the shoulders of others. You were brought in to build on others' accomplishments. Imagine if Elon Musk came and send instead: "I am proud of what you have done so far, that is a why I bought the company, now let's work together to take it to the next level".
6. Lead with Strategy: Be curious about the historical facts instead of just asking about the current state, ask about the previous state of how they got here. There are lessons to be learned in that.
7. Teach them How to Fish: Ever heard the ancient saying: Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day.Teach a man how to fish and he’ll eat for life? Be a teacher for your team andprovide them with the skills or toolsthey need to succeed. They would appreciate it.
8. Let them Grow: When you repeatedly come to the rescue, you deny others the opportunity to grow. The team will never learn how to resolve problems, instead you would create a dependency by your becoming the source of their solutions.
9. Lead for Results: Provide the new leader with effective on-boarding and transition coaching - having a coach work with the team and their new leader has proven highly effective in preventing the Savior Syndrome and accelerating trust building and performance among teams.

Elon Musk has an exciting vision for Twitter, he just needs to do it more as a "leader" and less as a "savior".

For more information about coaching new leaders check out www.ctileadership.com