Wherever You Go, There You Are
In leadership, we often continue certain behaviors long past the time they worked because we might feel competent or confident operating in that familiar space. If we’re not careful, we look around, wondering, “What’s wrong with these people?”
—Libby Wagner
Recently, we were wrapping up an 8-month Leadership Academy with one of my long-time clients. They had decided—as they rolled out this new, comprehensive program for leaders—that the executive team would also participate. This is often not the case with hierarchical organizations that have multi-layers. These senior leaders are very experienced and have had many opportunities for leadership development, classes, courses, and events. They were joining managers and supervisors, several of whom were just beginning their leadership journey. What were they doing there?
I worked with a National Science Laboratory filled with some of the world’s most accomplished scientists and researchers for more than ten years. In some cases, it actually was “rocket science.” We decided to create a program for senior leaders who were rising stars in the Lab and likely to be promoted to directorship, akin to being CEO of a particular science and all its activities. Some were Nobel prize winners; one was a retired military general. These were, in many ways, very seasoned leaders. What could they possibly have to learn?
In each case, we wanted leaders to get grounded in the mindset necessary to lead in times of chronic, constant change. We also wanted them to have shared language and skills so that the whole body of leaders in the organization was congruent and consistent. And finally, we wanted leaders to know what to do if they reverted or regressed to old modes of leading and communicating that are not so effective and show up when we are rushed, stressed, and feeling the pressure of so many elements of our complex leader lives.
It’s true when they say wherever you go, there you are. People in recovery from addiction have a term for trying to move away from their pain and suffering by relocating to a different place: doing a geographic. Eventually, they learn that if we don’t allow ourselves to do the deep work of changing, no matter where we go, our patterns and pains go with us.
In leadership, we often continue certain behaviors long past the time they worked because we might feel competent or confident operating in that familiar space. If we’re not careful, we look around, wondering, “What’s wrong with these people?” Instead of looking within first to see if we might have missed something important about how our business, customers, or people have changed. It’s a shame when senior leaders, the wise elders of our industries, are ignored or pushed aside because they may seem stuck to others. With their absence, we lose histories, stories, and the deep thinking that long-time leaders can bring.
But sometimes, they are stuck or cannot consistently evolve. Some foundational elements of leadership will remain the same: creating environments that support high levels of trust, productivity, and morale pay off in all the ways you want. It’s simple. It never changes. But the context of our work and how we respond to outside influences and the world’s shifts and changes means we must continually be willing to look at ourselves to see if what we are doing works and matters.
If we embark on our own developmental journey, as we should, we don’t throw all we know out the window—it is likely still relevant—but we need to be willingly open to changing ourselves before changing the organization around us. We often revert or regress because we forget some of the simplest yet challenging concepts: how you say things matters; people are always watching. Holding yourself to a higher standard isn’t old-fashioned; it’s about closing the gaps between knowing, telling, and doing.
