Take a Stand

B. (name changed) presented the project very professionally. He clearly covered the scope of the project and the outline of the various tasks. He explained the reasons it was behind schedule, and discussed three ways to get it back on track. At the end of his presentation I asked, “So which of the three options are you recommending?” He said that this is for the Board of Directors to decide. “After all”, he said, “they have the authority to decide. Not me”. It struck me that this person, senior manager, did not want to take a stand. “You are the expert”, I said, “It is up to you to recommend, to influence and to persuade others about what you believe is the best option for the company”. As a leader it is important to have a strong point of view. Raising a huge banner is better than waiving a little flag like everyone else. Most people do not rise above the crowd to set out strong principles. To be a leader means you are willing to take a stand and hold on to your principles, no matter what. Good leaders take a stand on issues if the consequences are not in their favor. It is easy to take a stand on non-controversial issue, but what about more controversial issues? What about taking a strong stand against a trend, group, or even management? Taking a stand against a policy, a way of doing business or a common behavior, is the riskiest thing a leader can do. And yet it is the most powerful way to make your impact on the world. So what if somebody says “don’t fight a lost war”? Should you fight against all odds? Should you take the risk? It depends on how closely the issue at stake matches from your core values and beliefs. It is a very personal decision. The smaller the gap, the more I will fight for my stand. What about you? Of course, good leaders know when to make compromises for the good of the group. Being a contrarian just for the sake of being contrarian won’t take you anywhere. Your stand should be congruent to your core values, your personality and what you believe to be the right thing for your organization given the information you have. Leadership is about finding the courage to take a stand on important matters and controversial issues. Leaders are brave. They do not compromise on what they believe to be the right thing to do. As the saying goes, “You’ve got to stand for something…or you’ll fall for anything”.