Why Do So Many Leaders Fail; Isn't it Obvious?

Leadership failure is so common today it is considered the norm.

Unfortunately in the US, (this is true in many other nations as well) many of our current political leaders highlight all that is wrong with leaders today. I did some due diligence and found these troubling stats:

• 7% of Americans trust members of Congress to have high ethical standards. 
• 24% of Americans give Congress a positive approval rating.
• 38% approve of President compared to a 61% presidential average.
• 59% of Americans think Congress sells votes for cash. According to one survey, the profession of 'Congressperson' is considered to be one of the top ten sleaziest ways to make a living, just a few notches below a drug dealer. I saw this T-shirt that sadly describes them: "97% of politicians give the other 3% a bad name".

Corporations also have their leadership challenges with nearly 9 out 10 employees disengaged:

• 50-67% of leaders fail, according to management derailment studies, mostly due to "poor people skills".
• 67% of worldwide employees don't believe CEO's are credible or very credible. This is down 12 points since 2016 and the lowest level since Edelmann's Trust survey began in 2001.
•  70% of people don't believe business executives add very much value to society, according to Pew Research.
• 82% of managers, according to Gallup, are not the right hire to do the job and lack the talent.

The Words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. King's quote defines three characteristics that are missing in far too many leaders today.

Cause

When leaders lack the greatness of a clear cause they ultimately let their egos and selfish desires get in the way of helping others or in making a positive difference in the world. Simon Sinek talks about the importance of a "why" for a leader or company. This allows great leaders to crystallize a vision that inspire others to action.

Care

When leaders don't really care about others that much they treat them differently, often very poorly. Their goals are personal recognition, power, or money. This leads to a lack of trust which affects employee performance in all areas. These leaders don't know that leadership is not about the paycheck but about people. They are less successful and often are faced with conflict, opposition, and subversion.

Character

Leaders without integrity invariably fail or fizzle out. We regularly see corporate executives in the media that fall from grace or politicians that got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. People are so jaded and tired of leaders that lack the courage or dedication to stand for something of value other than themselves. Those who lead with ethics rally others to a higher standard of conduct and relationships.

I believe that the next great revolution in business, if not government, is about people. Dr. King also said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?' '' Leadership, then, is not about job titles, profit or stock prices. It's about positively influencing and uplifting other people's lives, and when you do that well, a business will succeed dramatically and a country will thrive.

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If you liked this post, here are a few other posts you may find helpful.

• 10 Keys To Employee Engagement
• 13 Troubles of Terrible Teams
• Leadership is About People, Not Your Paycheck
• 6 Proven Ways to Deal with a Bad Boss
• How to Get Feedback When You Are the Leader
• Get the Job You Want with this Little Known Technique

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