Avoiding Dangerous Pits of Dysfunction Faced By Leaders

Unfortunately, over the decades I've served company owners and leaders, I've seen a number of them fall into various dangerous pits of dysfunction and destroy their personal lives and their business enterprises.

To all the people I work with I promote the principle that everyone within a company is functioning as a “leader.” Each is potentially influencing others toward thinking, saying and doing the right things or the wrong things. The reality is that hour in and hour out, day in and day out we influence others by what we think, say and do as we relate to them. Everyone needs to be careful not to follow others into these pits of dysfunction.

To avoid these pits, a high integrity proactive, as against reactive leader, has developed a personal set of worthwhile governing operating values related to the expression of his or her character, competence, commitment and community or team player values. He or she is disciplined in being consistently focused on what he or she is thinking, saying and doing to encourage others toward thinking saying and doing the right things that contribute to worthwhile outcomes at home and in the work place..

Given this, even the most proactive leader faces dangers that can take them off the playing of a worthwhile life and career. It is wise to be aware of these dangers and discern the action steps you can take to avoid them and steer away from them when you find yourself beginning to capitulate to them. They are “pits of dysfunction” which will take you into dangerous places which will do you and others harm.

Make an honest assessment regarding the degree, 1 being low to 5 being high, to which you are presently facing these dangers and most likely compromising your highest character, competence and governing operating values as a leader. When you have done this, check with your spouse or trusted confidant and ask them to give you feedback as to how their perceptions compare to yours about how deep these danger pits have become for you.

NEGLIGENCE - Proactive leaders avoid the pits and disabilities of this danger by staying focused on truly serving people over putting their main focus on profits, pleasure, prestige, and power. They treat their colleagues, staff members and customers in patient, kind, and calm ways with a spirit of true humility instead of finding themselves neglecting relationships at the expense of feeding their own egos, conveniences and arrogance.

SEXUAL IMMORALITY - Proactive leaders avoid the pits and disabilities of this danger by staying focused on fidelity and sexual purity. They take their marriage commitments very seriously and stay away from web sites, movies, television, places and people that temp them to think, say and do the things that they know are sexually wrong and would be horrified if their children, spouse or parents were thinking, saying and doing them..

STAGNATION - Proactive leaders avoid the pits and disabilities of this danger by filling their potentially idle time with positive disciplines that help them in the transformation and renewal process of life and positive activities that make a worthwhile contribution to learning, relaxing and recreational engagements.

PRIDE - Proactive leaders avoid the pits and disabilities of this danger by consistently giving credit to others for the successful outcomes they contribute to achieving. They regularly affirm in others their worthwhile contributions to the achievement of the vision, governing operating values, mission and goals of their families and their enterprises. They are quick to acknowledge their own mistakes and apologize when they have wronged others.

EMOTIONAL INSECURITY - Proactive leaders avoid the pits and disabilities of this danger by focusing on being real and all that they are, no more and no less than they really are.

PEOPLE PLEASING - Proactive leaders avoid the pits and disabilities of this danger by holding strong to their governing operating values and thinking, saying and doing what they know is right. They equally appreciate affirmations and critiques from others but do not do the wrong things or bend the truth to please and gain the approval of others.

FEAR OF CRITICAL FEEDBACK - Proactive leaders avoid the pits and disabilities of this danger by soliciting from others honest, course corrective feedback about their personal character and competence as they are applied and impact others and the achievement of the organization’s vision, governing operating values, mission and goals.

GREED - Proactive leaders avoid the pits and disabilities of this danger by focusing on being contented in all things and being givers instead of takers. They will never do anything on purpose to get rich or feed foolish or harmful desires that would plunge them and others into ruin and destruction. They have no love of money but only toward the good they can use money to help accomplish.

NEGATIVE ATTITUDES - Proactive leaders avoid the pits and disabilities of this danger by focusing not on the things that happen to them but on what they do with the things that happen to them. They recognize their deceitful desires and temptations that are common to mankind but are not corrupted by them but instead focus on the timeless, high moral standards of conduct that provide the strongest foundation for building a balanced, bountiful, and beneficial life and career.

MISGUIDED PRIORITIES -Proactive leaders avoid the pits and disabilities of this danger by focusing on building an integrated, high integrity life and career. The foundation for this is the establishment of congruent life and career visions and governing operating values that allow for both personal and career goals to be achieved. They prioritize the different goals for their personal lives and careers and work at keeping them in relative balance so that they effectively carry out their responsibilities to their spouses, children, colleagues, staff and customers.

ISOLATION - Proactive leaders avoid the pits and disabilities of this danger by recognizing they need the help and wisdom of other people to achieve the results they desire. They are humble and know that they are incapable of “going it alone.” They establish personal boards of directors and mutual accountability partnerships to help them stay on track in avoiding costly mistakes, resolving problems, making more profitable decisions and expressing their highest character and competence in achieving their life and work goals.

One effective way to avoid these pitfalls as a leader is to have one or more people in your corner to help you avoid them. I call these people personal accountability partners. Because we all have “blind spots” that can derail us, it is critical to have one or more personal accountability partners in our lives to help us surface and avoid these “blind spots.”

Your spouse, a small group of like-minded people with common values, or a personal coach can be a great personal accountability partner. The key is to make sure you have one or more persons who are regularly checking with you, being honest with you, and diligently coaching you away from the “pits of dysfunction” outlined above.


Avoiding Dangerous Pits of Dysfunction Faced By Leaders - To learn more about this author, visit Millard MacAdam's Website.

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