OK, so I just read an article this morning that is a prime example of followers losing trust in their leaders because of their "spinning" and oddly enough (well not really) it happened in my own backyard.
Yahoo Sports posted an article last night that stated one of the main reasons why Brett Favre did not want to come back to play and had to have 3 players convince him was due to his lack of trust in Brad Childress.
Case in point, on Tuesday of this week Darrell Bevel (Offensive Coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings) stated to the media that Jared Allen, Steve Hutchinson, and Ryan Longwell were inside the Winter Park facility. As we now know this was not the case. It was found out a day later that Darrell Bevel was told by Brad Childress that Jared Allen, Steve Hutchinson, and Ryan Longwell were inside the Winter Park facility.
Nice leadership coach! BE HONEST!!!!
I like the example but it also begs an additional question: Is spinning OK if it's A)not lying and B)the leader is good at it? We praise those who are good at playing the "political game" which requires high levels of spinning but ridicule those who we catch spinning fact. Are we ticked at those that spin because we've caught them at it and feel like they treated us as if we were dumb? If the spin is done well and we never notice, was it spin at all?
ReplyDeleteIn your example, Childress looses respect because he flat out lied. However, in his brain, I would bet he felt he was playing the game that NFL head coaches are expected to play. Bill Belichick is widely considered a coaching genius and a fantastic leader. However, Tom Brady has been listed as questionable for every game he has ever started. Do we overlook this fabrication because of the liar's rep, because Belichick is good at spin or because his lie didn't make us look as stupid?
You raise an interesting question. I personally don't feel that it is OK to spin in any situation. At the end of the day, what does it buy you? At a minimum, a lot of confusion. Maybe a short term following, but in the end your actions better back it up.
ReplyDeleteI think we get ticked by those we catch spinning because it is always how they communicate regardless of a situation. Where is the honesty in that? It's one thing to be a positive person and look for a silver lining in everything, I mean, that is one of the attributes we look for in our leaders. However, it is another to be honest that things are not as rosy as they are but I have a plan as to how to get out of the situation. Or heaven forbid, admit you made a mistake.
I think it comes down to knowing your audience and being genuinely honest. People can easily detect when someone is not. By doing this, people that follow you will see you as a real person.
In the example you provided, I think people get ticked at Bill Belichick because they perceive him to constantly spin his communications to such a degree that the level of ambiguity or lack of information drives people nuts. I mean, what is so sensitive and secret that I can't tell people. Do you really think other teams are hanging on your every word? What makes it hilarious is his actions confirmed their peceptions (i.e. Perception is Reality). He basically created it and didn't have to.
I think he and other leaders feel that if they are generic or ambiguous enough in what they say, they can never be held accountable or be looked upon in a bad light if things don't go the way I said they would (i.e. THE POLITICAL GAME). The reality is they are providing a false sense of security and convincing themselves that this is the right thing to do. WRONG!