Monday, September 19, 2011

Leaders create the best.

Effective leaders don’t copy or mimic what others are doing and claim it’s the best practice.  Effective leaders are deliberately and intentionally creating the best practice.  ~Kathryn Scanland

The quote this week was inspired out of my own frustration.  In my role as a consultant I’m frequently asked what others are doing, what’s the “typical” way that something is done or handled, or what’s the “best practice” for a range of organizational challenges.  What frustrates me is many times I feel like what I’m really being asked is not what’s best, but what are others doing that we can copy so we don’t have to spend a lot of time or effort thinking about this.

If we’re copying or mimicking what’s typical or common then how can we call that a “best practice”? 

In my first job out of college it didn’t take very long before I was irritating my boss with questions and inquiries about how we could change, improve or enhance what we were doing.  I made the very inaccurate assumption that everyone in a leadership position was interested in moving beyond mediocrity or the status quo.  My boss and I actually got into a rather intense conversation about mediocrity.  He felt that in many cases mediocrity or the status quo was quite acceptable, maybe even preferred.  Wow, this was so eye-opening for me that I still remember the conversation in detail even though it took place more than 25 years ago.

I had no idea that so many people in organizations really were content with being common, typical, mediocre or maintaining the status quo.  So when someone in a leadership position asks me for the “best practice,” I bristle.  I know I’ve flippantly responded with something like, “Why don’t you create the best practice”? 

I’m not suggesting that leaders should reinvent the wheel with every process, service, product, etc., etc.  I am suggesting that when it’s critical to their core business, leaders should do the very hard (and rewarding) work of creating the best practice.  Yes, it’s hard work to be the best, of course it is.  But if you’re copying the common or typical practice can you really say you’re a “leader” because you’re clearly not in the “lead.” 

If you say you’re the leader in your industry then who’s copying your best practice?  If no one’s mimicking your work, then maybe you’re not the one in the lead. 

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