Opinion: Great leaders take responsibility, lead with grace

I think it was because he was from the Show-Me State. He had two signs on his desk. One read, “I’m from Missouri,” demonstrating his basic skepticism and why subordinates had to prove their case before he would buy into their proposals.

The other sign said everything about Truman as a man. It read “The Buck Stops Here.” You may not have agreed with him politically (and my parents didn’t) but you had to have a grudging respect for someone who was willing to take full responsibility for his decisions and actions.

I have been fortunate to know some men and women who lived by this maxim.

One was my late Uncle Bruce Bogue. He passed away in May and has been very much on my mind. He was a self-made success in the insurance industry and taught me many business lessons. He was a man of integrity who did not excuse his own errors and certainly did not brook excuses from others. If he had had a motto on his desk it might have read, “Take Responsibility.”

Sometimes it is very difficult to work for these bosses of integrity. You know that your actions will be judged, and you know that you must back up your decisions if called upon.

I have worked for some great leaders:

One district manager was a stickler for communication. I was a trainer and not in the office. In many cases, field personnel feel isolated and often become de-motivated. Our manager called us in for regular meetings that ran on time and were efficient. She also sent out newsletters. What I liked about her communication style was that we knew exactly what was happening going in. If sales were down and she knew we wouldn’t be assigned as often, she let us know.

I’ve mentioned Disney a lot in this column, and one of my best managers there was Tom Trellis. He led by working harder than anyone else, approaching life with humor, really caring about his employees and making clear that the buck stopped with him. We dealt with some very difficult people, and he was always willing to step into fire for us.

Another leader was film director James Burroughs, who directed “Cheers” and “Taxi.” He directed the episode of “Cheers” in which I played. I was impressed with his easy, efficient style. He was forceful, but in a calm, nonauthoritarian sense. He spoke clearly and gave directions in a way that actors and crew quickly understood. He was also one of the most gracious people I ever met in Hollywood or anywhere for that matter. I had a small part, yet he took the time to welcome me. After the show taped, he came over and shook my hand and thanked me for my efforts. My day job was with a publishing company, so I sent him one of our books on film as a little thank you. I still have his handwritten thank-you for that book.

Over and over, I have noticed that great leaders are gracious, have impeccable manners and understand good etiquette.

Leading by example

Leadership is an elusive goal for managers and business owners. A few weeks ago, I got an e-mail asking if I did workshops on leadership. That led me to a very important question: Can you teach leadership or are we born with it?

I think that leadership comes to us from many, many sources. Certainly a great speech or workshop filled with ideas will help. The more willing someone is to learn, the more efficacy it will have.

Leadership qualities come from whom we have observed, either in our family or at work. My father was in the Navy for 25 years, and I heard a lot about the “chain of command.” The chain of command makes people into leaders on the battlefield and in all kinds of crisis situations. There can be no passing off of responsibility at any level in the chain or the whole chain breaks. The same may be said for a business.

Leadership is something that comes from the core of our being. From our moral integrity, our decisiveness, our willingness to take blame if need be and our inability to cover our actions with excuses, we form a core from which all decisions are made.

The worst managers are those who use their title, their power or their personality to keep others down. These automatons have no real respect for the work of others except that the work builds them up or makes money.

The best are those who use their power for good. They are definitely in charge, but they take responsibility and expect it from others without taking the soul of those who work for them.

Are you a leader or are you a dictator?

A leader asks his or her team for input and then takes their opinions into consideration.

A leader has an open-door policy and truly answers (or finds out the answers) to legitimate questions.

A leader has intellectual curiosity and is a voracious reader.

A leader is open to new ideas both inside and outside of the workplace.

A leader asks questions and really listens to the answers.

A leader is open to change.

A leader realizes that “the buck starts and stops here.”

If you want to be a leader, read about leaders in business from the past and present. Try some of their methods.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and if you do, realize that you are following some great leaders who have fallen and gotten right up again to correct their mistakes.

The buck stops with you!

Sinara Stull O’Donnell is a professional speaker and writer through Springfield-based SinaraSpeaks. She is the author of “Be The Star Of Your Life: Are You Ready For Your Close-Up?” She can be reached at sinaraspeaks@earthlink.com.[[In-content Ad]]