Leading with the Heart

Too many rules get in the way of leadership. They just put you in a box and, sooner or later, a rule-happy leader will wind up in a situation where he wants to use some discretion but is forced to go along with some decree that he himself has concocted. Of course, a few leaders like to be backed up by a long list of do’s and don’ts. “OOPS, you did this on the list. I got’cha.” Well, I don’t want to be a team of “I got’chas.” I got’cha means “I” rather than “we.” And a leader who sets too many rules is making it appear that it is “my” team, rather than “our” team. The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions. Not me. I don’t want to be a manager or a dictator. I want to be a leader—and leadership is ongoing, adjustable, flexible, and dynamic. As such, leaders have to maintain a certain amount of discretion. At times, there may be extenuating circumstances for a person violating a rule.