Setting a good example

One of the things that I feel makes a good leader is the ability to lead by example. Of course, this is easy for me to say as I am just a minion, and I don’t have to do it myself! However, speaking as one of the downtrodden, I find it nigh-on impossible to respect someone who asks you to do something, but who then goes and does the exact opposite themselves; in some respects, it is probably similar to practical parenting. You can probably see where this is going…

As with many offices, we have a shared calendar; simply, it enables all of us to know where someone is if they are out of the office, whether on leave, in a meeting or attending an event (obviously this is an electronic calendar, accessed via Microsoft Outlook, rather than a big wall-planner). LM has made it quite clear that she expects me to ensure that the calendar is up-to-date so that she can remember when I will be on leave or on training. LM has even told off other colleagues, over whom she has no jurisdiction, when they haven’t updated the calendar (which makes her popular with them, as I’m sure you can imagine).

The next day, we had our regular team meeting, and after a tip-off from a colleague that people were not happy, LM had prepared herself. Before anyone could say anything, LM launched into a spiel that she had passed a message onto me via The Temp, that everything should have been covered, and that I should not be “upset” by it. I responded that upset was not the right word, and pointed out that her trip was not on the calendar, to which LM responded that she would make sure that she would do her best to ensure that she would add things to the calendar in the future.

Why was this not enough for me? Simply, there was one word missing: “Sorry”. There was no admission of culpability, merely a justification of LM’s own actions designed to fend off any criticism. Furthermore, there was no acknowledgment that it is unrealistic for LM to expect standards from others that she is incapable of adhering to herself.

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