I saw a TV commercial for a auto dealership recently. You’ve probably seen something similar where a guy is telling you why you should purchase your next car from their great volume of cars. Then they show a great looking car at a great price, but it doesn’t really exist. If it did exist, there would be a defect, only one of its kind, or the price changed before you got there. And, you wouldn’t know about the details until you read the fine print at the bottom of the screen (which was probably upside down and backwards).
These sorts of things are referred to as lost leaders.
They cross your path and show up on our radar, but they really are not available. They look enticing, make promises of benefits to be had, or the fulfillment of some urgent need. They are intended to manipulate you into making a buying decision with them, based on their wants, regardless of your own particular need. The problem is that it’s rarely something that provides a positive impact on your life.
This is an intellectually dishonest tactic that has the potential to cause great harm to both internal and external brands as well as important relationships. How do people react when they take time to interact over something they deem important, only to have their expectations dashed when they find out that the something they seek is not available? People tend to become more skeptical around recurring appearances of the ‘lost leader.’
Lost leaders can be a problem for our client organizations as well. For our purposes we will offer these definitions.
Lost defined as: unable to be found
Leader defined as: the person who leads or commands a group
Sometimes our leaders will disappoint us. They aren’t available or don’t communicate. We’ve just come through a pretty trying time economically, socially, and philosophically in many ways. In a down economy, people tend to fly under radar, so they don’t lose their job. They’re willing to do more with less. They may suffer being dragged through the knothole of productivity, all the while thinking, when the inevitable rebound comes they will be leaving. Many times this is because the leader is really showing them the door.
I recall a time when we had a planning meeting with an important business unit. In attendance were: An outside Vendor, HR (me), Executive Leader, and Front Line Leader. It was the Front Line (FL) Leader who was tasked with a rigorous implementation of new services who needed the support of the executive. This included both budgetary and emotional support, as well as some guidance. As it turned out, the Vendor sent the Executive the tight timetable for implementation, but the Executive didn’t share this information with the FL Leader. That was a big mistake as it drained off any reasonable lead time to get up and running.
During this discussion, the obvious way to handle the situation would have been for the Executive to apologize for not keeping others informed and try to negotiate for more time. Sadly that is not what happened. Instead he looked at the FL Leader and said, “You remember when I sent you the implementation specs, don’t you?”
This happened in front of HR and the Vendor, so it became uncomfortable for all. Trust was lost between the two people and the problem still existed.
Unfortunately this type of situation will arise more than you might think. Leaders need to have integrity and strength of character. Leaders must take responsibility and do the right thing. Even if he hadn’t been the one to drop the ball, the Executive is still leading the company. It’s his team and he must be the one to step forward and say “I will fix this.”
Communication is the solution.
If the Executive had information about the project, he should have shared it with his team. If the FL Leader had questions, he should have asked. And the Vendor should have had clear expectations that were realistic and timeline should have been agreed upon in advance. Everyone should have been on the same page. What happens next?
I cannot say this enough, “communication is the cause of and solution to most of life’s problems.” Whether in the office, working from home or dealing with people across the globe, it’s important to communicate effectively. If Leaders want to run a successful business and have respect from their teams, they can’t hide or place blame when problems arise. Effective leaders will take responsibility and lead by example.
It is the sagacious leader who understands how to be “found” and make themselves available. They develop the people around them. They create both strategic and tactical time for leading on things that matter. They have a communication plan and strategy to share information with everyone involved.
As the economy rebounds and America goes forward after Covid, it’s important for retention of valuable staff that the leaders be found, available and communicate effectively.
