And it can happen almost instantly. The reason? Widespread and advancing technology combined with the media. In an emerging leadership paradigm, focusing on results alone is not enough. BP, Volkswagen, Big Sam and others would agree.
Big Sam Allardyce: 67-day manager of the English national team
You can lose all credit also when you think that you are better than other people – or when you begin putting yourself on an undeserved pedestal. This was the case with ‘Big Sam’ Allardyce, who was manager of the England national team for only 67 days in July 2016. He claimed it was his dream job – and he lost it very quickly indeed. What cost him the job?
There was unfavorable footage of him dealing with people who were really undercover reporters. Sam was arrogant and insulted his predecessor, and also didn’t speak nicely about respected colleagues. He acted as if he was a master of the football universe… and it took only 24 hours to ruin his career. Big Sam disappeared, a victim of his own arrogance. He lost the trust of his colleagues and became the shortest-serving manager in the history of English football. John Blakey, author of an article on the management-issues.com website (who works as executive coach), explains that trust can be lost surprisingly quickly. He advises all leaders to choose to be humble.
Transparency beats arrogance
Trustworthy leaders understand that undercover reporters are present in every boardroom. Exposure can happen in no time. Leaders need humility. They should put themselves in service, not expect ovations. Leadership should be about raising others up and not putting them down.
-jk-