Publication: Ivey Business Journal Online
Publication Date: 01-JUL-04
Format: Online - approximately 3891 words
Delivery: Immediate Online Access
Author: Kouzes, James M. ; Posner, Barry
Article Excerpt
While there is nothing inherently wrong in a CEO's command to "Just believe me," there may be something horribly wrong with the CEO -for example, a lack of honesty, credibility or even competence. These authors, noted experts who have written several books on leadership, offer a prescription for restoring damaged leaders to health-and for turning cynics into believers.
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"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair ..." Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities.
Charles Dickens wrote these words over 100 years ago, but they could easily be parts of today's chorus of confusion. While the only constant that we can hold onto these days is that "things will change," the platform on which we are building the future is being undermined. We see the evidence in the almost-daily newspaper headlines and media reminders of corporate scandals and excesses.
But subtler forces tell the real story. Just cast your eyes on the growing popularity of Dilbert. From a single cartoon strip appearing in one publication in 1989, it has expanded into more than 2,000 daily newspapers in 65 countries. It has been the source of 22 books (with over 10 million copies in print), numerous T-shirts, hats-and is coming out soon (possibly) with its own network television program.
What explains the Dilbert phenomenon? While appealing on a number of dimensions, Dilbert is nothing if not your quintessential cynic when it comes to today's workplace and management. Could it be that the cynics are winning? This article will offer suggestions for how leaders can counter the growing tide of cynicism and define and exhibit a positive, credible leadership style.
Cynicism and the culture of disillusionment and distrust
Cynicism is the tendency to be close-minded and disillusioned. It differs from skepticism, which is also a tendency to disbelieve; however, skeptics are willing to be convinced if they are presented with persuasive information. Cynics are much less inclined to be influenced. They believe that human conduct is motivated solely by self-interest, and they have a sneering disbelief in the integrity of others. They adopt unrealistically high expectations of themselves and/or other people, and then generalize these into expectations about society, institutions, authorities and the future. They then experience disappointment in everyone's ability to meet these expectations, which results in their feeling of frustration and defeat. The cycle continues with disillusionment or the sense of being let down, in turn resulting in a sense of feeling deceived, betrayed or even manipulated by others. The logical conclusion is a character such as Dilbert, portrayed as either helplessly naive or being constantly taken in as a sucker.
One recent survey indicated that 23 percent of workers would fire their managers if they could. Other studies show that those who are cynical about other people are only half as likely as their peers to report that they trust their management and their co-workers. More than two-thirds of cynics do not express confidence in management's integrity, nor do they feel much loyalty or commitment to their organization. What does this mean for today's business leaders?
Leadership is a relationship
How do you know that someone is a leader? The simplest response is that "the person has followers." Within this simple observation lies a powerful antidote to Dilbert and cynicism. Leaders are defined by their followers. Leadership...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.
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