Why it is OK for Leaders to be Foolish

Foolish?

Really?

You’re going to have to give me a little latitude here as we lead up to April Fool’s Day, because by a dictionary definition, we probably don’t want to be foolish as a leader. Here is what I mean, from Dictionary.com

Foolish – adj.

1. resulting from or showing a lack of sense; ill-considered; unwise: a foolish action, a foolish speech.
2. lacking forethought or caution.

Synonyms include senseless, vacant, vapid, simple, witless, silly, inane, stupid, asinine and more.

Ouch!

So perhaps I don’t mean that as leaders we should strive for that exact goal; I do however think there is a place for a leader to show some level of intentional foolishness. Here is what I mean . . .

Fools don’t know what they are talking about. Too many leaders think they are supposed to have all the answers – after all, they don’t want to appear foolish. Yet the best leaders ask more questions, collect more opinions and are always learning – and they aren’t afraid to ask, rather than tell. If you try to act like you have all the answers, that is when you really look like a fool. Engage your team, find new and better answers – it’s not foolish at all.

Fools try things, even though they might fail. We shouldn’t be taking risks with important business decisions and valuable resources, right? Doing so would be foolish, wouldn’t it? Effective leaders are willing to try new things knowing that sometimes they won’t work. Sometimes you may get some egg on your face. But by taking no risks and playing it too close to the vest, you might end up making corded phones in a smartphone world. Who’s foolish now?

Fools are entertainers, not workers. All leaders know they need to be able to communicate effectively, and yet too many don’t use all the tools they could. They tell themselves (and others) that they don’t tell stories, because it isn’t necessary and they aren’t very good at it. Effective leaders use stories not to entertain but to create both understanding and a lasting memory of the message. Using a story – even a wild one – might be entertaining, but it packs a powerful work punch too. It is foolish to think that entertainment and work can’t live together in peace and prosperity.

Fools don’t take serious things seriously. We are talking about work, after all. Most leaders are aware of their image and want to be respected for their role and their competence. While there is nothing wrong with that goal; the approach most use to get there is to take themselves and their work too seriously. The best leaders are genuine and real with a healthy level of self-esteem. When your self-esteem is healthy, you can laugh at yourself and your foibles. This makes you more real and relatable. Laugh at yourself and others will laugh with you – but don’t fool yourself into thinking that has to erode credibility and respect.

Fools mess around instead of getting things done. Most leaders are looking at the tasks, goals and strategies and are always looking for ways to improve productivity. The best leaders care about all of those things, but also know that time for laughter, fun and perhaps even some well-timed frivolity actually helps a team be more productive. Yes, as in all things, a balance is needed. But it is foolish for leaders to believe that work should be 100% about work 100% of the time.

Perhaps it is more than OK to be foolish as I suggested in the title of the article. Perhaps, when leaders are intentionally willing to look foolish, paradoxically, they aren’t foolish at all.

Regardless of when you read this, Happy April Fool’s Day, leaders – go do something others might see as foolish.

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Kevin is a bestselling author, speaker, trainer, consultant and the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group. Inc.com named him one of the top 100 Leadership and Management Thinkers in the World, and Top Sales World calls him one of the Top 50 Influencers on Sales and Marketing.  Want to work on your leadership skills?  Enroll in our 20 Days to Remarkable Leadership Video series with Kevin’s compliments! 

Originally posted on blog.kevineikenberry.com on March 28, 2016