"I believe in process. I believe in four seasons. I believe that winter's tough, but spring's coming. I believe that there's a growing season. And I think that you realize that in life, you grow. You get better."
~Steve Southerland, politician, banker
The calendars on our computers at the VIM Executive Coaching office have reminded us we have passed the Winter Solstice. The earth will turn and we are assured the days will get longer.
With that bit of astronomy in mind, we would like to congratulate every executive of 2024 who slipped, fell, got lousy reviews, failed to make bonuses, was cited for harassment or boorish behaviors, had “poor numbers,” got called on the (virtual or actual) HR carpet, received warnings, was deemed irrelevant, redundant or otherwise got canned, terminated or flat-out fired. Painful, wasn’t it?
We’re not laughing
It is no funny matter when something bad happens to an executive at any level in an organization. Frankly, anyone who hasn’t been there is usually lucky or is waiting their turn to be surprised. Of course, there are also those who simply hang-out for years on end in unchallenging jobs who never make waves or create so much as the slightest ripple. It might be argued they do more long-term damage to the organization than the executives who royally mess-up as the result of a policy missteps.
However, for the majority of executives who feel “ungrounded,” it becomes easy (especially in these times), to be on the losing side. There is, as the quote above suggests, always the possibility of winding up in winter. Winter can be mighty powerful penalty. Obviously, used in this context, winter is a state of mind and a state of security within an employment situation.
Clearly, executives who wind up in a state of winter and forced to leave their organizations, most often repeat the same process. They drift from situation to situation and along the way, develop unwanted reputations and fewer opportunities to find dynamic situations where their talents can shine.
Spring approaches
Can an executive leader who has fallen into “repeated winters” climb out? The winter solstice brings only promise in a metaphorical sense. There are no guarantees work situations will magically improve with job-hopping.
“Spring” may pose the promise of growth, but as any farmer knows, there are a lot of steps and conditions to growing a decent crop. To succeed in gardens or in organizations requires a lot more than theories and hopes, but training and focus.
At some point, an executive who keeps repeating poor performances and breakdowns in leadership has no choice but to turn inward and examine what keeps going wrong. What we, at VIM Executive Coaching, have noticed in terms of executive leadership failures generally have little to do with technical ability or education but authenticity and the inability of leaders to connect.
We have encountered numerous, absolutely brilliant executives across the spectrum of professions (space to science to sports) who have resumes with sparking credentials, who have an inability to manage. To be unable to connect, to try to manage without being mindful, to be inauthentic leads to failure.
The most brilliant executive leadership minds who cannot connect with their teams or be mindful moment to moment, are far less effective than solid managers who are authentic in their leadership and compassionate in mindset.
Yes, as the quote suggests, we have the potential to grow and thereby get better however unless executive leaders recognize what it will take to enhance that growth, they invariably fail as do their organizations.
As the Winter Solstice period slowly leaves and invites the promise of spring, remember the highest, best form of cultivation begins with self. Mindfulness training is a journey leading to change; however, the promise of change is not enough. As with any farmer, it takes work to understand the conditions we have created – and ultimately, what it takes to improve them.