Great Leaders Do the Hard Work. They Do What Others Avoid. :

“The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.”

– Norman Schwarzkopf –

Great leaders have solid answers to the question, why should I address this issue? Their answer drives them to stay the course when the pressure and stress mounts. This differentiates great leaders from others. Great leaders make the hard decisions that others avoid.

Much like the quote above, I have always said “knowing” the right thing to do is rarely the issue, “doing it” is often the issue. It is hard to confront personnel problems and address them effectively. It is not just about facing the issue. It is about addressing issues in ways that realign team members and re-engage them with the team’s mission, vision, and values.

Many in leadership positions do not want to endure the stress and pressure associated with the hard decisions. They would rather avoid them. And so they do. But great leaders are compelled to do the right thing for the team. They cannot avoid these issues. They understand the connection between addressing misaligned actions and behaviors and the effectiveness of the team or group.

I have led within the steel industry for over twenty years. I have been privileged to be a part of several winning teams and worked with some great people in that time. In every case, we dramatically improved our team’s results. I have learned the importance of doing the hard work that others avoid.

Below are three reasons why I believe leaders should engage and address behaviors that threaten the success of their respective teams.

“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.”
– General Douglas MacArthur –

Contents hide

1 Establish and Reinforce the Standard

2 Demonstrate Respect and Support for Those that Carry the Load

3 Create a Culture Where Doing the Right Thing is the Expected Thing

4 Call to Action: Develop Your Why

Establish and Reinforce the Standard

What is the expected behavior of those on our team? Is this clear to them?

Teams need standards. They need to know what is expected of them. The standard needs to be behaviors and actions that align with the group’s mission, vision, and values. The root of many team issues is a lack of clarity when it comes to what is expected. Clear communication of team member’s standards of conduct is foundational and needs to be a top priority of any leader.

Once the standard has been communicated, the leader needs to conduct himself according to the standard. He needs to be the teammate he desires everyone else to be. He needs to be the example. Being the example is critical because the leader is the standard-bearer. The leader must emulate the standard and also uphold the standard. He cannot be a hypocrite and effectively lead others to follow a standard of conduct.

When the standard is violated, the leader must respond. He cannot avoid addressing these things. The leader’s response or lack of response reveals his commitment to the standard. If he effectively addresses issues, teammates will realign and reengage with the mission, vision, and values. This reinforces the standard and maintains its meaning to the team. But the strength of the standard fades away when leaders avoid the hard decisions. Eventually, it becomes impotent and no longer drives the culture of the team. The leader’s response determines if the standard becomes strong or if it becomes a joke. Leaders cannot ignore sub-standard behavior and expect a high-performing team.

Demonstrate Respect and Support for Those that Carry the Load

Addressing issues demonstrates respect to those that consistently do the right thing. Every good team has team members that are consistently getting the work done and making things happen. They conduct themselves in ways that help accomplish the mission, and align with the vision, and values of the team. They are the ones you can rely on day in and day out. When we do not address or confront issues we are showing disrespect for the best members of the team. The strongest leaders understand this and they know that maintaining the standard is a clear demonstration of respect for those that carry the load.

Addressing issues demonstrates support for this group. You are showing that you appreciate what they bring to the table. You are making their performance the expected performance and they become the example, the leader for others to follow. When a leader addresses substandard issues he will improve the morale of his best team members. A strong morale in the best team members will raise the overall morale of the team. Not addressing issues will do the opposite. This lack of performance on the part of the leader is often the reason poor morale.

Create a Culture Where Doing the Right Thing is the Expected Thing

Addressing issues helps the strongest members of your group win the battle against peer pressure. There is often a small undertow of peer pressure that is counter to doing what is right. Even in the best teams, if leadership is not strong, this will manifest itself. But if the leader creates a culture where doing the right thing is supported and reinforced in action, it makes it easier for team members. Peer pressure is minimized when the leader continuously communicates and has conversations that redirect those that get off course. The leader is never allowing things to get too far off course before engaging. This prevents the peer pressure undertow that tends to go against the best direction for the team.

This also opens the door and makes it easier for the team’s most vital members to support you and your leadership. The culture will become one where doing the right thing is just what the team does. It is who they are. Those who don’t will either correct or be removed from the team. Often with this culture team-members begin to address substandard behavior themselves. Over time in this type of strong culture produces new leaders. They are the team examples. They have worked within the culture and understand the proper behavior. This makes it easy for them to lead by example, teach and coach others to do the same.

Call to Action: Develop Your Why

As a leader, we cannot avoid the hard decisions. They do not go away. The longer we avoid them, the more damage they will do to our teams. We must engage, listen, learn, and understand the root causes of sub-standard behavior and then work with team members to effectively address the issues. But you must have good reasons as to why this is important. There will be times when this is hard to do, and your why will make a difference. Staying the course and demonstrating grit will require you to have firmly established your reason why. It is my desire that these reasons will help you develop your why and enable you to take your leadership to the next level.