Featured Monthly Article

Exploring Leadership's Doofus Principle - It's All B.S.

By Craig Ross and Steven W. Vannoy

Based on concepts in the upcoming book, "Leadership Gold" by Steven W. Vannoy and Craig Ross.

I'd like to introduce you to someone we all know. He works down the hall.

Most of us consider ourselves to be good people. We do our best to wake up on the right side of the bed, to see the good in others. But this guy! We have to admit it, he is the exception; there's nothing good about him. To put it frankly, the guy is a Doofus.

Doofus is always doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. For instance, a couple of days ago it was the end of Q1. We were frantic, scraping for orders, rushing shipping - our goals were nearly in our reach. When we got to the office that morning, Doofus had left everyone a note with "tips to get us through the day." (Quite frankly, he's the last guy I'd take a tip from.) Then, around 10:00 a.m. he announced to everyone that he was done with his tasks and could lend a hand if anyone needed help. (One of my friends whispered, "Yeah, you can help by leaving.")

At noon Doofus announced that he was headed to the deli and asked if anyone wanted to go. (He knew none of us were going to be able to leave our desks, and yet he still announced his departure. I nearly told him to get out of my face!) Then, at 2:00 p.m., our boss asked if anyone could give him a ride to the airport. (We all knew who was going to help; Doofus is a serious butt-kisser.)

Then it happened. He returned just before 4:00 p.m. With a can of Coke he stood next to the main printer - which was in overdrive, pushing out mailing labels. That's when he did it. After telling a stupid joke the can slipped from his hand and - poof - the printer was done.

We were furious! And what made us even hotter is we knew it was going to happen!

You know what that is? It's B.S.

It's a Belief System.

The most effective leaders, those who get the most out of their team, understand this important fact: To the extent we choose, we will always find the evidence to support our current belief system.

The reader already knows that, had the person above been looking for different evidence, they would have found it. When they arrived in the morning, at 10:00, noon, and at 2:00 there was plenty of evidence to acquit Doofus. Yet, because there was an inaccurate belief system, because the colleague had been "Doofused," there was only one type of evidence that was being inventoried - the evidence that supported the current belief system.

Top 5 Outcomes when We Doofus Others

1. We limit our company to, at best, incremental growth. No one is able to be or do anything other than what they've done in the past. Therefore, the only 'safety zone' is to be and do what has been done before.
2. We rob our team of valuable resources. Because we can only focus on one thing at a time, we never see what 'could be' in others (or ourselves), because we're stuck on 'what was'. This leads dysfunctional companies to believe the answer is in "hiring someone else," someone that has the desired skill set; when in reality, in many cases the skill set was already on the payroll - but undiscovered.
3. Resentment and conflict builds among team members. Because every person naturally knows they are capable of doing more and doing better, those who are Doofused are often left to defend themselves - or attack others.
4. Productivity drops. Those who spend their time Doofusing others play the victim's role; they're not accountable because it's never their fault…as long as Doofus is around. (And there's always a Doofus around.)
5. Morale suffers. Some work cultures function with a "what I don't like about you" operating system. Ironically, every human on the planet knows the fastest acting medicine for building morale is to acknowledge others for what we appreciate about them.

Somewhere, at some point, some of us learned leadership wrong. Somehow we learned that in order to change another person it was our job to point out their spots, to tell them where they were wrong. Yet, when we think about it, the leaders who grow us, the leaders who generate consistent results, know that this approach doesn't change anyone. It only drives a wedge between us, diminishes communication, and destroys trust.

Is it possible that some of us, because of the way we're leading, have actually been sabotaging the results our team could produce?

Tell-tale Signs of the Doofus Principle, their costs
- and what can be done to build more productive belief systems

• "This is going to be difficult..." Belief System expressed: We're in trouble. Cost: Negative reactions rather than proactive ideas. Alternative approach: "We've got some opportunities ahead…"
• "What you need to understand is…" Belief System expressed: You don't know and I do. Cost: they've already begun to tune us out. Alternative approach: "What I'd like us to explore is…"
• "And this is the marketing team, our creative folks." Belief System expressed: Nobody outside of marketing is creative. Cost: we've significantly reduced the ingenuity capabilities of our entire team. Alternative approach: "And this is our marketing team, some more of our creative folks."
• "I'm not good at..." Belief System expressed: I have no skills in this area. Cost: I'll stay stuck with this weakness. Alternative approach: I can get better at…"
• "She's an idiot." Belief System expressed: That person will never have a chance around me. Cost: poor communication; poor relationships; poor results. Alternative approach: We don't see things the same way. (Neither one of us is wrong.)

What will happen if, starting today, you and your team begin looking for different evidence in those around you?

What will happen to those individuals around us as they

- Are allowed to try new things?
- Are allowed to make mistakes?
- Are allowed to discover more of themselves, rather than investing energy and time in hiding themselves?
- Are allowed to grow as individuals - to become something they haven't realized today?

3 Steps to Developing Healthier Belief Systems - and Greater Relationships

1. Accept What Is. Life is happening all around us. Our ability to create results is a function of our ability to accept people and events as they happen. Wishing, lamenting, or demanding that someone be different than they are right now severely limits two people.
2. Take Responsibility. Because we've accepted someone or something for what it is, we're no longer wresting with judgment - which means we have the ability-to-respond, or "responsibility."
3. Focus on Evidence that Builds. Because we can only focus on one thing at a time - and we go towards that focus - choosing to focus on evidence that builds relationships, communication and trust is up to no one else, but us.

Effective leaders understand what Shakespeare meant when he said, "Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so." These leaders realize that often times the reason another person can't move forward is because of the way they're being led and interacted with. Because these leaders understand its their choice which belief system they create, this leader goes to great lengths to communicate with others that s/he believes in them.

John McKinney, VP of Manufacturing for International Truck and Engine shared at a recent Pathways to Leadership session: "When I measure people by the talents they possess and what's possible - which is contingent on my feeling good about myself - people appear differently to me. Possibilities become realities." When asked how he accomplishes that, John replied, "If I walk in a room and I start feeling lousy because of somebody else, I stop. It's not them. It's me - and how I'm seeing them."

What belief systems will you reinforce today that will carry your team forward?

(c) 2003 Pathways to Leadership, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.