Blogger: Kevin W. Grossman

Kevin W. Grossman is the Chief Marketplace Evangelist at Fisher Vista, LLC and HRmarketer.com where he leads the strategic B2B marketing and business development initiatives with more than two decades of business experience. He's also a partner and collaborator of the TalentCulture community with as well as a co-founder of the online Twitter chat #TChat and the #TChat radio show. Kevin received his BA in psychology from San Jose State University. He’s a proud father who enjoys reading, writing, running, drumming and music.

Personal Leadership: Bankruptcy can never be an option

Photo by Adventure Experiences

If trust is the currency of influence and sound leadership, then why are my peers filing chapter 13 when crises occur?  Or for that matter, even in the absence of crises?

I’m talking about our everyday leaders and mentors, those folks who are in “trust” positions who are supposed to be protect us, advise us and keep us from going astray.

But don’t.

Take the regulatory offices in the U.S. A few years ago, employees of the Minerals Management Service “used cocaine and marijuana, and had sexual relations with oil and gas company representatives,” according to a government report.

Then an oilrig platform in the Gulf of Mexico exploded.

According to a recent NPR Plant Money podcast:

Economists have been writing for decades about “regulatory capture” — the idea that regulators are “captured” by the industry they’re supposed to be watching over, and wind up serving industry’s interests.

So who’s regulating the regulators?

Who’s regulating ourselves?

Anyone?

Is this yet another greed-is-good-and-ignore-the-rest credit default swap?

Generation after generation after generation: the subprime mortgage crisis — the S&L crisis — the Nummi Plant in the late 70′s — grifting of all flavors, shapes and sizes, personal and professional — same self-serving abominations, different decades.

Regulating ebbs and flows. Laws that come and go.

Yet, we’re not collectively teaching personal leadership to each other, our children or our children’s children. At least not to the point of breaking the cycle of recreant behavior.

We bend, we fail and some of us break. I certainly have. Unfortunately some of the broken pieces, and broken people, can’t be fixed.

I’m not suggesting we charge our governments or each other to over-regulate and cripple our ability to conduct business and get our economy back on track.

But we can’t let the leadership gap bankrupt our companies and our livelihoods.  We’ve got to be feeling leaders who responsibly lead with love.

Bottom line — if enough of us build up a personal savings of:

And teach our children to do the same while influencing others via mentorship and leadership, then bankruptcy can never be an option.

Take the lead.  And take it personally.

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Absolutely. Thank you Lisa!

Bravo! Leadership is taking people where they wouldn't otherwise go - and by that definition is a "look in the mirror" activity. If your character and communication isn't worth following, by all means get out of the way for those who are.

@John - Thanks, John! Personal responsibility is seriously lacking today and we really need to rectify it.

@Meghan - Thank you. Love and EQ makes for a better world, that's for sure.

@Karen - Right on, Karen. So would I. Thank you.

What really gets to me sometimes is that some leaders know that you-know-what is about to hit the fan, but do not take ownership of it and actually wait for it to hit before doing anything about it. It's speaks volumes of their character and how they deal with problems (in most cases the lawyers are there to do it for them)...just bad form all around.

Wouldn't it be nice to hear your leader say, "Team, I know I really screwed this up bad, but we can rise above this...here's what we have to do...I can't do it without your help." Hell, I would walk through fire for a leader like that.

Karen, The Resume Chick (on Google or Twitter for questions, comments and violent reactions)

Timely and key thoughts Kevin. I hear you on this line as do many others – particularly as related to the BP Oil disaster recently. Disappointing on many levels.

I’m an avid believer in mentorship. Love holds a valuable and real place in the leadership equation. Leaders that are “tuned in” to their people’s motivations and expectations will endure. Agree with Mike – EQ trumps IQ in many cases.

Kevin -- Personal Leadership Bankruptcy in simply a reflection of what is happening in our society. Personal responsibility is no longer required, whenever anything goes wrong, people look for someone to blame and many of our social and business standards no longer exist.

It takes an exceptional leader to practice their own integrity, authenticity and balance in these times. These people are our future.

Thanks for the great post!!

Thanks, Mike. I'm tiring of extreme lack of personal responsibility out there today.

Great post, Kevin. Agree with you. It's all about trust.

We build trust (and credibility) by delivering: What we say is what we must do (in business and life). I like your list, especially Emotional and Spiritual Intelligence. EQ over IQ.

Best, Mike