Today on the blog, I’m going to talk about Barack Obama but, don’t worry, I won’t break my personal rule about never debating politics or religion at the dinner table or on the company blog. This week, the leader of the free world has had his judgment, his integrity and his conviction questioned. By stating that the use of chemical weapons would be a ‘red line’, President Obama backed himself into a corner. He was left between the rock of military action and the hard place of unfulfilled convictions. With either option potentially career-defining.
Politics For Agency Owners
Every situation is a learning experience. The question is: what can we learn from this situation? As a leader, you will find yourself making decisions on the future of your people and the future of your business. At some point, you will find yourself caught between a similar rock and hard place.
We often preach that courage in your convictions is one of the most valuable characteristics in a strong leader. However, what do you do if that conviction could lead you down a dangerous path? Is it better to stick with that conviction, or is there even more strength in changing your mind?
What Now?
As an agency owner, you’ll never have to consider anything as serious as military action. However, you will have to make decisions on the direction of the business. Those decisions will have an impact on your employees. There will be occasions when your judgment leads to a negative result for your people. How will that affect your future decisions? Will it force you to make a U-turn?
The reason I’m asking so many questions is that there is no definitive answer. As a leader, you will be wrong. There will be occasions when taking the personal hit of admitting a mistake is the right thing to do. There will be others when an unpopular conviction will be proved to be correct. The skill of a great leader is knowing which is which.
As a rule of thumb, you should take care in every public declaration of an intention or decision. If you only make declarations that you are 100% committed to, you will rarely find yourself unsure on how to proceed. By the same token, you should always be willing to adapt your position. As a leader, your role is to make the best decisions in the moment. That means choosing the rock or the hard place, because you truly believe it’s the best thing for your agency.
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