Formation of Leadership XXXIV
We are talking about being untouchable as a leader. Being above reproach is so important for leaders to maintain a leadership role. Being untouchable means having self-control. Self-control is essential for discipline, both for yourself and also for others, and it is also essential when it comes to controlling your emotions. Do not allow yourself to become emotional and then make decisions based on your emotions. If you allow people to get you up and make you feel great, then unfortunately, you will also allow people to get you down. Be the same with your emotions at all times; this takes extreme self-control. John Wooden, the great basketball coach at UCLA, never gave a pep talk before a game. He always said that he built everything up to game time and that no pep talk was needed. Disciplining an employee is not punishment. It is a correction for something that can be done a better way. You discipline to help, to improve, and to correct; not to punish, humiliate, or retaliate. Self-control keeps you in the present; anytime that you are whining or complaining, you are living in the past. You cannot change the past so instead, stay in the present with self-control.
Intentness is another characteristic that is necessary to being untouchable. Intentness doesn’t involve wanting something, but instead, it involves doing something. Intentness is the ability to avoid temptation. This involves personal temptation as well as the ability to stay the course and not be tempted to change things. As I said last time, do not let yourself be tempted to actions with your employees that can be misconstrued as something inappropriate. Do not party and hang out with employees or drink in front of them. Be above reproach when around employees in a social setting. Always stay the course and do not change because someone tells you something. Stay the course and wait and be patient for your outcome. Rome wasn’t built in a day and in the same sense, your success in your practice will not be built in a day either.
Always keep yourself untouchable as a leader. As a leader you are different, whether you want to be or not. That doesn’t make you better, just different. If you stay untouchable and have self-control and intentness, you will always have the respect of your employees. No employee has ever disrespected a leader for being above reproach. They may make comments to cover up their inadequacies, but they will always deep down respect you.
Why do some veterinary clinics run so smoothly and others seem to be so chaotic all of the time? Some clinics can handle many people at once and others can only handle one or two at a time. Space definitely has something to do with it, plus patient flow and flow of charts has a lot to do with the amount of congestion in a clinic, along with the attitude of the veterinarians.
As we have been talking about, leadership can be inherent or it can be learned and developed; or it can actually be both in many cases. Why is it then that some people have inherent ability and do not pursue any leadership? Or, they develop leadership skills and never take them to the level that they are capable of? There are many factors involved, but one of the main attributes of leadership is desire.
