Smart leaders hire for passion; they know it’s the quickest way to infuse passion and high performance into their company. They also understand that setting a positive example fosters passion. But when leadership passion wanes, organizations flounder. I wrote about this in my last post, here.
All leaders experience drift at some point in their careers. According to Cornell University organizational-behavior professor Samuel Bacharach, PhD, “Leaders who have forgotten their core mission have drifted.” Drifting manifests in a variety of ways, signaling that leaders have distanced themselves from their roles. Do you recognize the signs?
Signs of Drift
Drift can be linked to a loss of interest or control. Here are a few of the signs to look for:
- Feeling and/or expressing apathy toward current issues or projects
- Coasting on past accomplishments
- Concession of principles or work ethic
- Increasing tolerance (or granting permission) of previously unacceptable situations
- Adopting a hands-off management style
- Isolating from colleagues
- Resisting feedback
- Shutting down; saying or contributing little
One of the leadership drift signs that I look for is a delay in decision making. This is especially noteworthy when once confident, skillful decision makers begin to avoid making decisions.
You see, just as a boat slowly drifts from shore, leadership drift slowly progresses and may be observed only after a significant occurrence.
When employees begin to notice behavioral changes and wonder what happened to their once-respected leader, whispers become conversations. It becomes clear that leadership drift has been going on for some time. Drifting leaders eventually cause their organizations to veer off course, with potentially devastating implications.
Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road. – C.S.Lewis
What about you? How is your passion for leadership? Do you recognize the signs of drift? I’d love to hear from you. You can call me at 561-582-6060, let’s talk. And as always, I can be reached here, or on LinkedIn.
