Simply put, the choices we make and our espoused beliefs are
very different. Our talk is often consistent with effective leadership
theory. However, it may be a description of who we wished we
were. In most cases, when push comes to shove, we opt for a more
traditional, mechanical set of beliefs that appears more predictable.
To be successful in building a new context, we will have to find a
process that forces us to challenge our real beliefs.
This can be done by examining the choices that we make. We
believe that we are our choices. If we perpetuate an ineffective per-
formance appraisal system, we have beliefs that are consistent with
that action (or inaction). If we set up internally competitive envi-
ronments, we must believe that such an environment is consistent
with peak performance. If our “calls are monitored for quality,”
there is a reason. Are we aware of our reasoning? Are we aware of
the unintended consequences of our actions? To be knowledgeable
leaders, we must be aware of our reasons and willing to challenge
them by continuing to ask “Why?” until we identify the funda-
mental assumptions that define us as leaders. It is simply harder to
dodge the tough questions when we are examining what we do.
Once we are forced to face the duplicity of our words and actions,
and when we challenge ourselves to be authentic in word and deed,
we may begin to understand how much we will have to change in
order to build an organization in which people can reach their
potential.
Choosing to Believe DifferentlyWe were on a plane recently talking to a principal in a large train-
ing company. When we asked him to describe his view of the
future, he told us that the future of his business could be described
in one word. The word was no longer plastics(as in the movie The
Graduate). “The word today,” he said, “is leadership.” He told us that
almost all organizational failures could be tracked to a failure in
leadership and that his company was going to emphasize leadership
development above all else. When we asked him what he intended
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