Every Job Looks Easy…Until You Are the One Doing It

Like you, I’m watching multiple crises unfold daily…Afghanistan, the next wave of COVID, immigration, runaway inflation, the impact of climate neglect. There are big problems to be solved.

I empathize with leaders today, such as David Solomon of Goldman Sachs. They are making hard decisions in this volatile environment. As a result, they have a lot of critics. The important thing for leaders to do is to discern between critics who are helpful and those who are not.??When I promoted employees to leadership positions, I would tell them, “Any job looks easy until you are the one doing it.” My point: criticism is easy; it is harder to fix things.

There are constructive critics -- responsible and informed journalists, analysts, and activists – who are important to public dialogue. And they need to be respected as “stakeholders” particularly because social media gives them a loud voice. We make a mistake, however, when we listen more to mere naysayers than to constructive partners and colleagues. How do you tell the difference? At GE, some people made criticisms I didn’t listen to -- those who just wanted to blame others and keep their hands clean. Frequently, they had given up on themselves. In my experience, those who criticize from the sidelines simply get a lot of things wrong.

1.?????These critics often favor impulsive action over deliberate planning. These critics think they are the “fixers;” they just need to do something…anything. But problem-solving is hard and takes teamwork and time. Leadership is about taking the?right?action, which requires hard work, and getting in the trenches with your team.?

2.?????They often blame incumbent leaders. People with experience are also those who have made mistakes. Critics often ignore that reality: that missteps are part of getting better. It is difficult to drive change when you criticize your team. Good leaders help imperfect people take risks. Let’s face it, frequently the biggest critics have already failed at the task they are criticizing…they had no answers when they were in charge.?

3.?????They are often na?ve. They surround themselves with outside advisors, people who say, “just take a clean piece of paper, erase the past…tell them what to do.” But you never really get a clean sheet of paper. It is lazy to think that way. Real change…solving problems…requires a connection to the past, as a foundation to learn and to create a relationship with your team.

4.?????They like to play it safe. They don’t take risk, asserting instead that nothing is possible. They protect themselves by setting a low bar…“it was always screwed up.” Leaders show up, getting the best out of their team. Problem-solving requires a bold playbook and a bright team that has both freedom and confidence.?

5.?????The worst critics surround themselves with “yes” people. No one loves being told they are wrong. But these critics avoid the experience altogether by listening only to those who echo their own views. The result: they rarely change their minds. Open debate and teamwork are essential to problem-solving and change. No leader is perfect, but great leaders stay focused on what they can influence and adjust their thinking as they learn. The worst critics, on the other hand, stubbornly cling to their view. This is the arrogance of false piety.?

As a leader, you need lots of debate…healthy criticism…and pushback. When you are wrong, you need to admit it. That’s what I tried to do in my 2021 book HOT SEAT: What I Learned Leading a Great American Company: own my mistakes, offer context, and allow others to learn from experience.