Category….”I told You So”

Posted by Jeffrey Thomason on January 19, 2015 in Professional Presence | Leave a comment

According to the Interbuzzblognetfeed, apparently, there is some controversy over the proper definition of whether “a moment” was reached and that Should Have Known Better definitely Should Have Been There. This led to further discussion about They Did It Too and whether we should get off Should Have Been There’s back since They Did It Too got away with the same behavior. As leaders, you will often find yourself compared to They Did It Too as well as their partner in crime, Always Been This Way.

To recap, at The Jersey we take a bit more radical position. Leaders who lead by continually comparing their own mistakes or missteps to They Did It Too or Always Been That Way are apparently not followers of The Jersey. If they were, they would know that leader’s show up and do it their way, instead of Always Been That Way.

Great theory, but how does this work out in practice? Let’s consider, the Great Big Hairy Theory of Public Service, which is You Are Being Loaned Your Title. Yes, you. But wait, you say…”I earned my title”….au contraire. Every desk, pencil, paper, and yes, the title on your door and your business cards (and the cards too, by the way) are loaned to you in trust. You serve to honor that trust, and hold them in good repair and high regard until it is time to bequeath them to another. You are neither trapped  by the person who held them before you, nor is the person who accepts them from you beholden to your perpetual deification. In fact, they are perfectly capable of thinking you are kind of silly and reversing your course, if need be.

And so, free to chart your own course, you are free to show up, or not to show up, throughout the span of your opportunity.  The Jersey believes that absent some pretty extraordinary circumstances, you need to show up. Every time. Leaders recognize critical moments when they occur, and are willing to create them if the moment calls for it. They do not hide behind nebulous tradition, or scapegoats, or any goats for that matter.

A prime opportunity to show up is when it is time for new people to join the team.  This is a critical moment.  What kind of team am I joining? Are my teammates going to support me? Can I trust them? Are we committed? Will I be valued?  These are all things going through the mind of new teammates and all things that should be addressed as quickly and as publicly as possible and with as much fanfare and noise and celebration as can be mustered at the moment. The team’s dynamic is changed the minute someone is added, and the moments to recognize that can be brief. Whether your team is welcoming a new unpaid intern, or new partners in the struggle against global terror and extremism, you show up, thank them for coming, and make a big deal about it.