3 Ways To Be Sure You Are Doing The Right Thing

There is no doubt that the longer you are in a leadership role, the more you learn. In fact, most leaders would tell you that the longer their careers go, the more they realize what they don’t know. It’s precisely because of this that more seasoned leaders tend to be more deliberate and thoughtful in their reactions and decisions.

Recently, John Boehner, the embattled Republican from Ohio stepped down as Speaker of the House and retired after over 25 years in public service. He had been facing a strong backlash in congress, and within his own party, over some of his decisions. After a visit to Congress by Pope Francis, he made the decision that it was a good time to step down and allow someone else to take the leadership role. He said it was a pinnacle moment in his career, and he knew then that it was time for him to move aside to help his party, and the nation.

During his retirement speech, Boehner became emotional at many times, thanking those he had served with, and acknowledging those who had been instrumental in making him a success. He was obviously moved by his retirement and his self-reflection on his career indicated a man who had served his country out of a love for it. However, there was one line that stood out to me that was was particularly insightful.

If you do the right things, for the right reason, good things will happen.

In all of the years of experience leading, guiding, influencing and working through issues and grappling with politics, it came down to this. Do the right things for the right reason. Simple, yet so often overlooked.

As a leader, it’s easy to get caught up in the frenetic pace of projects, to entangle yourself in the politics of decisions, and lose sight of what you were trying to accomplish. The longer you lead, the decisions continue to get tougher, the stakes get higher, and the impacts larger. It’s enough to paralyze many leaders. But yet, it’s so simple in the end.

If you do the right things, for the right reason, good things will happen.

So, how do you know that you are doing the right things, for the right reason?

• You are focused on the organization and people, and not your personal goals – As a leader, your goals should be the goals of the organization. There is no better place to look than to some of our own politicians to see where this idea can easily get lost. If you are focused on your career, your salary and your “next job’, you can easily lose sight of the organization. This doesn’t mean you can’t, and shouldn’t, have personal goals. It just shouldn’t be what drives you day to day.
• You are willing to sacrifice your role as a leader if it will take care of your team, and the mission – Of course, this one is never easy. We have others that rely on us, we have goals and aspirations, and we have personal interests that are outside of our ‘work’. But, in your role as the leader of your organization, would you sacrifice your role if it would help the team? Would you step down if that was for the best of everyone? Would you forego your bonus to make sure the team got one? If not, it’s really about you, and not the team.
• Your passion to succeed outweighs your desire to ‘win’ – Sometimes we lose sight of the real goal. We get caught up in making sure we are heard and people to see things our way. But, leadership requires that your primary goal is the success of the organization or team. If you get caught up in winning because you don’t like to lose, instead of winning because it’s the right thing for the team, you’ve lost sight of the goal.

Most leaders take on the responsibility that comes with the role because they want to help the organization or team succeed. They know that leadership really isn’t about them, but about the greater good. It’s in those moments of difficulty or pride that the real reasons we lead seem to get lost. But, if you can focus on the simple truths of why you are there, good things will happen.

If you do the right things, for the right reason, good things will happen.

What have you learned on your leadership journey that also helps you stay focused on the real goal, especially when times get tough?