Leadership, Power, & Responsibility
Even though it may be a fictional character that is given credit for this statement, I believe that we all can agree that it is true… and the reasons are many. Not only does this wielding of power affect others immediately, it creates a model that others will emulate because it defines how powerful people get things done.
In my work as a speaker and psychologist, I have the pleasure of working with those in power on a regular basis. In fact, I would estimate that around 70% of my practice is presenting to groups of CEO’s through a company known as Vistage, which is the largest executive coaching organization in the world, with over 23,000 members in 20 countries. In addition to teaching these CEO’s to access the clear, confident, creative part of the brain using my “Life from the Top of the Mind” system, much of the discussion is also about how to use their power as leaders responsibly.
In fact, there is a concept I always teach that I call the Videotape Concept.” Of course, no one uses videotape any more, but the idea still seems to resonate with participants. The Videotape Concept suggests that leaders should interact with everyone in their lives as if that interaction is being recorded and could be used as a training film for everyone in their family and organization. I suggest this because leaders represent how powerful people get things done, and those in their personal and professional lives are watching and will emulate what they see.
This is why I’m advocating the Spider Man perspective that says with great power comes great responsibility. When leaders have power or influence in other’s lives, whether they be CEO’s, politicians, or even parents, they have a duty to wield that power responsibly, or in a way that not only benefits their employees, constituents, and family members in the present, but also sets an example for how those who look to them for leadership should behave in the future.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that decisions made by leaders will always be the right decisions. We are all human beings, and, as such, are susceptible to making mistakes. However, those leaders who are being responsible will admit that mistake, talk about what they learned from the experience, and how they are going to apply that learning to future behavior.
This is what we should expect from our leaders, and when they fail to live up to this standard, we should do them the favor of voting with our feet or our ballots to ensure that they get the message. To do otherwise would be abdicating our responsibility and allowing them to continue to act irresponsibly.
~ All the best, Dr. Bill