3 Questions to Diagnose a Sick Leader
Every winter, half the country gets sick, everyone’s focuses on colds and flu and germs. Schools close. People wear masks. Purell sales go through the roof. “Does he have a fever?” “How long has she had that cough?” “Is the sputum yellow or green?” Everyones’ a doctor these days.
But what about leaders? Are there a few simple questions that can help us figure out what might be wrong in leadership?
Years ago, I heard a motivational speech by Lou Holtz, the famous football coach, now an analyst on ESPN. He said there are three questions everyone asks about a leader.
– Can I trust him?
– Does he know what he’s talking about?
– Does he care about me?
If you’re an alliteration guy or you want extra credit, you can make them “character, competency and compassion.”
If you don’t trust your leader, life’s going to be hard. You’re parsing everything they say. Looking for discrepancies. Questioning their motives. Thinking “just how many lies does this guy think he can tell me without me seeing through him?” There are few leaders we trust completely, but it’s awesome to be a part of it when we do. If you can’t trust your leader, start looking for other options.
But even trustworthy leaders have to be able to perform. To hold up their end of the bargain. I may trust my neighbor’s son who just finished medical school, but I’m nervous if he’s my brain surgeon and I’m his first patient. Competency is the easiest of these 3 “C’s” to change. Training and experience will likely make this one better over time.
And no matter how trustworthy or competent, we have to know our leader cares about us. If they don’t care, and if we don’t know they care, we’ll ‘second guess’ their competency or character when something goes wrong. My friend is wrestling with choosing a surgeon for a very specific and important procedure. He’s asking “Do I want a guy who’s done 5000 of these, but who doesn’t know me from Adam? Or do I want a guy who’s done 500, but I know cares about me?”
If you’re struggling with your leader, ask these three questions. They may point you to the reason it’s not working and help you know what you need to talk through with that leader. Yeah, I know…some things just can’t be ‘fixed’, and you’d probably better have your resume’ ready before you go. But at least you’ll know why you’re uneasy and you both can be alert for chances to make it better.
If you want to play in the ‘bonus round’, turn the question on yourself. “When others look at me, do they see someone who can be trusted? Who knows what he’s talking about? Who cares about them?” Maybe we ask a few people who know us, follow us and whom we respect. But only ask these questions if you’re ready to truly hear the answers and if you’re serious about acting on what they tell you.
Question: Is there a ‘wobbly’ leader in an important area of your life….one where something’s wrong, but you haven’t figured it out? Let us know if these questions help you here.
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Responses (4)
I appreciate the challenge that God brings to me through these probing questions.
“Love spoken of is easily dismissed, love demonstrated is irresistable.” Bob Pierce founder of World Vision
Thanks Tony. A coming says “the only love that’s real is love that’s demonstrated”. I believe it!
Been struggling through these issues for the past several months with the pastoral leader of the church where I work. Having reached crisis level within the last couple of weeks, it was only yesterday that I was able to see her humility, the cornerstone of grace, for the very first time. One simple statement, “I know I’m not the kind of leader you need; but I want to work on it,” immediately softened my heart and has me wanting to do whatever it takes to support and encourage her. It’s also forced me to look in the mirror to assess what I need to change in myself to be a more Christ-like member of her team. Thank you for putting words to what we’ve been going through, and I pray we will be able to overcome the challenges ahead of us.
The most important quality in a leader…in a Christ-follower…in a human being….is humility. I’ve got a lot of patience for a humble but less-than-stellar leader. You’ll become a better performer and leader as you help her fulfill her potential.