Leader-Shaming...It's Real.

I have a new term for you today: Leader Shaming.

In today's world of twitter, employer review sites, and ever-changing expectations for how leaders SHOULD be, it might be more challenging than ever to lead a business. The opinions of others are heavy - and public! Here are some of my thoughts on the matter:

We should be praying for our leaders. Not shaming them.

In times past, families were known to actually pray for the leaders of the company they worked for. They PRAYED for them. What happened to that?

Picture this: A family sits down at the end of the day around a dinner table. There is warm food on a simple table. The house isn't huge or extravagant, but it is the best the parents can do at this stage of their life. There is love there. Everyone is a little tired at the end of the day. Hungry. Ready to eat some mashed potatoes, a simple entree of meat and veggies that has been brewing in the crockpot all day. The hope of a little ice cream or some of cake at the end of it.

Before they dig in - there is a little prayer saying thanks be to God for all that has been provided. And a little one liner just before the Amen - "please guide our leaders, our President, and my boss at work."

There was a time in America, when this was a real thing.

Fast forward to today's world of tweets, tiktoks, Great Resignation, and Glassdoor reviews - and it is hard to picture this happening anymore. Employers have become the enemy, and as the leader - you are accountable.

Have we gone so far down the path to entitlement that we actually don't care enough for our leaders to stop and offer them a bit of gratitude?

Sure, yes, in isolated cases - and in the corners of our time. "Thanks for the paycheck boss!" ("Where is my bonus?," uttered under their breath)

You, for example - I am sure you never say anything negative about your leadership (regardless of what level you play at). Right? (for clarity - that was sarcasm. Don't lie, Ok?)

I am witnessing in my work, an incredibly high level of "leader-shoulding" along with leader shaming. "Leaders should do this... leaders should do that..." and so on. Often at our Thriving Leader events I hear employees say, "Oh my gosh - my boss needs to going through this!" (They are not wrong, but it's more about HOW they say it.)

If you believe the mainstream narrative, the leaders of our world must be performing about as well as Pharaoh prior to the exodus. In companies like Amazon, Starbucks and Apple, unions are forming - even though historically these companies have offered benefits above and beyond what they are required to. Our Presidents have had a static approval rate of around 42% or lower since I can remember, regardless of the job they do. There are whispers at the water cooler and zoom breakouts about what some leader should or should not have done. I saw a tiktok recently where a girl quit her job over the Walmart loudspeaker just to prove a point.

Are there some ill-intended leaders out there in the world?

Of course. Madoff was a crook and he took a lot of people's money. There are people like him. There are some real jerks that ascend to the thrones of our corporate world. We need our defenders, regulators, and other strong leaders on the lookout to catch and stop people like that.

Yet, for every one of those, I find there many more that just want to leave the world better than they found it. Some in big ways. Some in small ways. Some write books. Others plant trees. Some lead big companies and thousands of people. Others lead a team of 5 in a small shop. If you find yourself in the category of do-gooding leaders - my friend, you are not alone.

That is why I created this newsletter - for the leaders that want to do good, yet find themselves sometimes overwhelmed by the burdens of the role from time to time. I find an overwhelming amount of resources for what leaders should not be doing. Fewer safe, authentic places for leaders to go and be real. For those that are ready - be sure to check out my executive coaching program just for the chiefs and vice-chiefs that are feeling the pressure and need an outlet.

In a world where the headlines and talking heads in the news would have us believe that things as bad as they have ever been - and that our leaders are responsible - someone needs to take a stand. What is GOOD about leadership in America? In the world?

This newsletter is going to highlight that. Consider this a Chicken Soup for the Leader's Soul - with a few more tactics, challenging topics, and real authenticity - supported by some interviews with chiefs along the way.

I believe there is so much good in leaders. I believe that you followed this newsletter because you inherently know that to be true. And, I appreciate you following and subscribing. Thank you. I am so grateful! Nearly 500 of you in the first week!

Together, let's take a stand for our leaders and do our best to build them up - not tear them down. Hold them accountable, yes - and also recognize when they perform well! We've got our problems, but that is what leaders are here for - to guide us and inspire us toward finding solutions. Let's celebrate and push them forward - Hail to our Chiefs!

In the comments - tag a leader in your life that you know is doing the best they can with what they've got to make the world around them better.

Quick Announcement: We just set the dates for our next Thriving Leader program! This has been our flagship program for the last 5 years, and we have served thousands of people with it and logged north of 7,000 hours of employee coaching! This is a 2 day transformational program with an optional follow up coaching program designed to drive REAL behavior change with your team members. Shoot us a text at 984-265-8453 to get more info!