This Wall Street Journal article reveals what is perhaps the biggest reason lawyers rank so low on the trust barometer – sexual harassment. Sadly, incidents are under-reported, and ‘rainmakers’ are often given a pass, especially when transferring from one law firm to another.
Trust is one the most important qualities a relationship needs to be successful. For a deeper look into this dynamic, read the section from my forthcoming book on trust here.
Ronan Farrow, after months of thorough research and verification, exposes in this lengthy New Yorker Magazine essay another corporate dirty secret – this time with CBS!
When are boards of directors going to start being more proactive in determining whether they are in an at-risk position regarding abuse, harassment and other inappropriate behaviours? Like most of the situations that have been exposed, the allegations of sexual misconduct at CBS has been an open secret for years. Media outlets are particularly vulnerable when they coverup misconduct as how can we depend on them to properly investigate and report on misconduct.
This article is part of a series currently being published on MoneyInc. Previous submissions can be viewed on the MoneyInc site by clicking here.
“Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective commutation. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” Stephen R. Covey
My second article for this series, ‘B is for Believable’, is all about trust, so you can successfully argue that this article is somewhat repetitive. This is intentional, as the essence of this characteristic cannot be repeated enough. Regardless of the importance of the other characteristics, unless one is trustworthy, all of the others mean little.
Today we live in a world where there is little trust in leadership. This lack of trust extends to every sector of our society.
This lost principle of trust has shattered the foundations of almost all the relationships we have. To understand the erosion of trust, the ‘Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire’ answers how an empire so powerful as Rome could fall into ruin. Rome’s rise has been attributed to principled leadership, which was articulated by Emperor Marcus Aurelius, with these few words, “If it is not right do not do it, if it is not true do not say it”. After Aurelius’ death, the virtues of principled leadership were replaced by greed, self-interest and corruption that defeated the empire of its values and spirit.
In “Most Trusted Man in America - Trusted to Lead”, Robert Porter Lynch highlights how America’s first president, George Washington, was influenced by the teachings of Aurelius in his book ‘Meditations’. Lynch wrote, “Washington admired Aurelius’ stoic quest for wisdom, virtue, self-restraint, tolerance, and the dignity of all men. He controlled his fiery temper by practicing stoicism religiously, living by a simple premise: ‘What matters most is a man’s behaviour, not his ideas.’ Calmness and the ardent refusal to display hate or rage were essential to prevent the distortion of rationality, morality, and good judgment.”
Preventing the distortion of rationality, morality, and good judgment, not only made Washington the most trusted man in America, which he continues to be, it also laid the foundation for the rise of America.
As what occurred in Rome, America is falling. The virtues which made it great have been replaced by greed, self-interest and corruption, that is defeating their values and spirit. In every segment of our society we are witnessing the distortion of rationality, morality, and good judgment.
Mahatma Gandhi’s declaration must give us inspiration - “It is possible for a single individual to defy the whole might of an unjust empire to save his honour, his religion, his soul, and lay the foundation for that empire’s fall or it’s regeneration.”
As leaders, we need to be those single individuals to lay the foundation for that regeneration. If where we live, learn, work, worship and play has been contaminated by “greed, self-interest and corruption”, we have a responsibility to influence a return to the values of rationality, morality and good judgment, by practicing principled leadership.
Victor Lopez, Associate Professor of Legal Studies at Hofstra University, has offered “Ten Characteristics for Principled Leaders:
1. They put the interests of the institution they serve above their own self-interest;
2. They understand that characteristic is defined by the small acts they perform when nobody is looking;
3. They recognize that respect must be earned and nurtured over time but can be lost in an instance;
4. They promote their people, not themselves;
5. They take responsibility for their personal failures and for the failures of the groups they lead;
6. They share credit for their successes with the individuals who made them possible;
7. They are consistent and predictable in their decision making and in the exercise of their discretion;
8. They strive to do what is right rather than what is expedient, regardless of the consequences to themselves;
9. They do not fear making unpopular decisions and clearly communicate their rational for making such decisions to those affected by them;
10. They only serve institutions that do not require them to compromise their principles.”
These are great principles, however without dialogue, particularly between managers and their subordinates, just following the principles is not sufficient.
In the quote at the beginning of this piece, Stephen Covey speaks about effective communications and relationships. What I have found in a 2017 Mental Health America/Faas Foundation study called ‘Mind the Workplace’ is that effective communications between managers and employees is pretty much non-existent in most organizations.
Specifically, we found that for the majority of North American workers communication is limited to the annual or semi- annual performance review and when things go south.
Critical discussions are essential to fostering trust. As part of the Yale/Faas Foundation initiative called ‘Emotion Revolution in the Workplace’ we are advancing the ‘5 D’s of Engagement’(Discuss/Disagree/Debate/Defend/Defy). What I am finding is that emotionally intelligent leaders promote and encourage the application of the 5 D’s, and by doing so they enjoy relationships with their subordinates that is based on mutual trust and respect.
I am also finding that unemotionally intelligent leaders practice what we call the ‘5 D’s of Exclusion’ (Deflect/Deceive/Discredit/ Distort/Deny) which we can assert is the reason for the erosion of trust and respect which is dominant in every sector of our society”
We need more principled leaders who promote the ‘5 D’s of Engagement’ as an offence to those who practice the ‘5 D’s of Exclusion’.
Today the unemotionally intelligent leaders are winning, and if their dominance is not abated America and other democratic nations will fall.
In my book, the first chapter ‘Definition of a Bully’ reads “Trump” - (perhaps the shortest chapter on record, but need I say any more?). The book was published shortly after Trump’s inauguration, so I am not playing the Monday morning quarterback here.
Sylvie Kauffman, in this opinion piece in the New York Times, captures how bullies operate, which based on my research, the majority of people can relate to because of the bullies in our midst. Bullies must be challenged in order for them to be stopped. Find out how by reading my book ‘From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire’.
I am a great believer in tying seemingly unrelated comments, situations and behaviours together because they usually add up to something.
During the early stages of the primaries, what perplexed me was how well organized, coordinated and attended the Trump rallies were, particularly considering the lack of infrastructure and claims by Trump he was not in the pockets of special interest groups.
On February 23rd of this year in a in a posting called ‘The NRA is Controlling America - We the People Don’t Count For Them’ I asserted that the N.R.A. was the most powerful and influential lobbying group in Washington who have most of the lawmakers in their pocket, and suggested, as a conspiracy theorist, that their aim was to have a sufficient number of people armed and ready for when attempts were made to impeach Trump.
What I did not connect however was a Russian connection.
In an New York Times opinion piece by Michelle Goldberg called ‘Are Republicans Covering for Trump or for Themselves? suggesting that “If the N.R.A. was compromised by Russia, the whole party’s in trouble.” makes the connection. “Of all of the interlocking mysteries of the Trump-Russia scandal, one that I’ve found particularly perplexing is the utter servility of congressional Republicans before a president many of them hate and believe to be compromised by a foreign power.” In this piece Goldberg effectively makes the argument that there is a Russian connection to the N.R.A . Add to this the arrest of Maria Butina, who is accused of being a Russian agent who infiltrated the N.R.A.
It is now pretty clear that Russia wants to undermine democracy. What we now need some real clarity on is to what extent the N.R.A. is compromised by Russia, and to what extent the Republicans are compromised by the N.R.A.
I have every confidence that if allowed, Mueller will connect the dots; and his report can’t come too soon. The more time that goes by, the better equipped those who will mount a counter offensive will be to stage a civil war.
Eighteen months ago, just before Trump’s inauguration, in a blog ‘Predicting What Trump Will Do Next’, I described how bullies work indicating “They are masters of manipulation, deflection, deceit and denial and no one is better at bullying than Donald Trump. Bullies are particularly dangerous when their back is against the wall and the growing agitation about Trump’s connection with Russia is going to have his back against the bricks very soon. My prediction is he will do everything he can to maintain his power and control. He will abuse the power of the presidency up to and including drastic things like martial law.”
Many mocked me by indicating this could never happen in the United States, given the checks and balances in place to prevent such an ominous scenario.
Well we know how impotent the checks and balances are.
In today’s New York Times an opinion piece, Roger Cohen quotes Norman Ornstein, a political scientist at the American Institute - “Trump fires Mueller, pardons himself and everyone else, sends his followers into the street, and, after the inevitable bloodshed, declares martial law.”
Too far-fetched? Well I didn’t think so eighteen months ago, and I certainly don’t think so today.
The company did not specify the nature of the allegations against Brian Crutcher, who had taken the helm of the Dallas-based chip maker in June.
After reading this New York Times article, my bet here is that whatever led to Crutcher’s ouster happened well before he became Texas Instruments CEO. Crutcher was a long-term employee who was promoted from his position as COO, so he was a known commodity. What likely happened is a whistleblower came forward in reaction to the promotion. If this is the case this is yet another example of an open secret where the former CEO and the board, either were clueless or negligent.
Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick was removed from ministry last month for sexually abusing an altar boy. But, as this New York Times article exposes, the church overlooked his harassment of adult seminarians for decades.
As is the case for most sexual abuse and harassment situations, this has been an open secret for decades. The church had not, as this article contends, “overlooked his harassment of adult seminarians”. What they did is cover it up.
How many more will be exposed before the church comes clean with what they know about others in the church regardless of how high they have to go in culling the predators in their mist? Until they do, they have no moral authority to give spiritual guidance to others.
This article is part of a series currently being published on MoneyInc. Previous submissions can be viewed on the MoneyInc site by clicking here.
“I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren’t all that different.” Veronica Roth
The book ‘The Selfless Leader’by Stephen Brooks begins with the premise that we are all innately selfish.
Analyzing the moral decay in every segment of our society, whoever coined the phrase “follow the money” nailed it, and it can safely be asserted that the majority of people in authority are greedy and will go to great lengths to protect their power and control. These people are motivated by money, rank and position. Money, rank and position gives them a distorted sense of power.
They expect respect without having to earn it.
In the work I am doing with emotional intelligence, it never ceases to amaze me how tuned in these people are to their own emotions, what makes them happy, sad, angry, motivated etc.; yet totally clueless on how others feel and why they feel the way they do. Bottom line for these people, it’s all about them. Does this remind you of someone you know? Odds are you know many of these people. Yes, they are tuned in to their emotions but because of their selfishness the emotions of others don’t even cross their minds.
Contrast this to the huge number of people who are not motivated by money or power to help others; the health care workers, firefighters, first responders, the military, and police. What motivates them is to serve, protect, defend and heal others.
Also, we should recognize as Sylvia Mathews observed, “Day after day ordinary people become hero’s through extraordinary and selfless actions.”
“I would like to speak briefly and simply about a serious national condition. It is a national feeling of fear and frustration that would result in national suicide and the end of everything that we Americans hold dear. I do not want to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the ‘Four Horsemen of Calumny’ - Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry and Smear”.
These few, simple and powerful words spoken by a member of Congress are a timely example of selflessness, putting her political future at risk, to encourage her fellow Republicans to stand up to the forces that threaten democracy.
Sadly these are not the words of a current member of Congress. They were made on June 1st. 1950, by Margaret Chase Smith who became the first members of Congress to denounce the anti-communist witch hunt of Senator Joseph McCarthy in ‘A Declaration of Conscience’ speech.
What we are witnessing today is the selfishness of politicians who have and are selling their souls to protect their power and control, or simply to get re-elected. What they are proving is that they are politicians but not leaders. Leaders are people who dare stand up to those whose intent is to destroy and destruct.
Based on extensive research I have done on organizational dynamics, the ‘Four Horsemen of Calumny’ - Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry and Smear is not unique to politicians, it is evident in most organizations and institutions. Evidence of this is the exposure of wrongdoings in every segment of our society where the common thread is these behaviours and actions were open secrets for years and in some cases decades. My first book, ‘From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Our of the Line of Fire’, describes why people are fearful of challenging authority, which is a tactic used by bullies, turning their targets and victims into villains.
Understandably, targets and victims are reluctant to come forward. What is not acceptable, however, is for bystanders, particularly those in leadership positions, to remain silent. For those in leadership positions who do not become witnesses, defenders, protectors and resistors when others are harmed, because it puts at risk their own personal position, are selfish and should not be regarded as leaders.
Stephen Ambrose in his book ‘Band of Brothers’profiled Major Dick Williams, who led his band of brothers from the D Day landings to the German surrender, bravely and selflessly. Williams did not consider himself a hero and did not want any credit for what he had done, crediting instead his men, especially those who lost their lives for their country. Williams, in his book, ‘Beyond the Band of Brothers’ asserts his ‘10 Principles of Leadership’, in which his selflessness shines through. They are:
“1. Strive to be a leader of character, competence and courage.
2. Lead from the front. Say ‘Follow me!’ Then lead the way.
3. Stay in top physical shape - physical stamina is the root of mental toughness.
4. Develop your team. If you know your people, are fair in setting realistic goals and expectations, and lead by example, you will develop team work.
5. Delegate responsibility to your subordinates and let them do their jobs. You can’t do a good job if you don’t have a chance to use your imagination and creativity.
6. Anticipate problems and prepare to overcome obstacles. Don’t wait until you get to the top of the ridge and then make up your mind.
7. Remain humble. Don’t worry about who gets the credit. Never let power or authority go to your head.
8. Take a moment of self-reflection. Look at yourself in the mirror every day and ask if you did your best.
9. True satisfaction comes from getting the job done. The key to a successful leader is to earn respect - not because of rank or position, because you are a leader of character.
10. Hang tough! Never, ever give up.”
John Michel, a Harvard Business Review blogger, captured the essence of a selfless leader when he wrote - “the most effective form of leadership is supportive. It is collaborative. It is never assigning a task, role or foundation to another that we ourselves would not be willing to perform. For all practical purposes, leading well is as simple as remembering to remain others-centered instead of self-centered.”
(Andrew Faas is the author of ‘From Bully to Bull’s Eye - Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire’ and a Public Voices Fellow at Yale University)
Early in my career, I headed up HR and have had the HR portfolio as my responsibility for decades. This latest Uber resignation by the head of Uber’s HR department, amid racial slurs and discrimination is an example of how totally ineffective HR is and has been the predominant problem rather than the solution. This situation is particularly interesting because Ms. Hornsey was brought in specifically to change the toxic culture of Uber’s workplace. Not only was she totally ineffective, but she herself was toxic. This begs the question of why she was hired in the first place. Unfortunately, she is not alone in her behaviour. In the research I have done on bullying in the workplace, 80% of employees in North America do not trust HR, and with good reason!
Although she vowed to remake the toxic culture I wrote about in this blog last year, she actually exacerbated the problem. Companies across the board should review the role that HR plays in their organizations, because right now they are a liability rather than being an asset. Her discriminatory conduct is inappropriate and repulsive. Furthermore, this situation seriously damages the credibility of the many other HR professionals who are so desperately trying to make a difference in their organizations.
So, how did she get hired? The board of directors, who waited far too long to get rid of the CEO, should bear the responsibility here because they hired Ms. Hornsey to fix the existing toxic culture. Whoever did the due diligence on her failed miserably.
Typical of most HR people is that try to bamboozle everyone with words rather than taking appropriate action steps. Or in this case, taking a page from the bullies/bigots who are already there. In my book, ‘From Bully to Bull’s-Eye: Move Your Organization Out of the Line of Fire’, I discuss this dynamic at length, offering suggestions on what employees can do when faced with such issues. I also offer advice for employers who appear for the most part to be clueless about what changing a toxic culture entails.