Servant Leadership

 In the midst of a tumultuous post-election season, we lost a humble, but impactful, national leader. Former Maryland Senator, Paul Sarbanes, best known for the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act which overhauled accounting rules for publicly held business, died on December 6, 2020 in Baltimore.

Sometimes described as a “phantom senator,” he maintained a low profile and rarely issued news releases or held news conferences. Not comfortable with the backslapping, glad-handing and grandstanding of public office, he avoided the spotlight and the social circuit in the nation’s capital. Rather, he drove home to Baltimore each night to be with his family.  

Mr. Sarbanes described himself as a “different sort of politician. I’m not always out there blowing my own trumpet. . . . You can get a lot done if you let others take some, maybe all, of the credit for it.”

Throughout his public service, he worked to promote low-income housing, environmental protection and preservation, investor protection, and consumer privacy, and helped shape legislation affecting Social Security, tax policy and campaign financing. In 1974, while serving on the House of Representatives House Judiciary Committee, he drafted the first article of impeachment of President Richard Nixon—something not widely known. 

As I read about Senator Sarbanes’ death, I thought of all of the positive leadership characteristics he possessed and displayed—characteristics discussed in The Manager’s Answer Book. It inspired me to start writing this blog. Committed to his values and principles, he never contradicted them in his actions or words. A collaborator and negotiator, he focused on important, but unglamourous work such as drafting and redrafting amendments, and working on details that drew bipartisan support. 

That other’s sought him out for advice, especially on difficult issues, is a testament to his listening skills and his reputation of being a sound and ethical advisor. He was not afraid to delegate or let other’s take credit. These actions showed that he trusted people, knew their strengths and weaknesses, and recognized what motivated them. He saw value in recognizing other’s accomplishments. 

Critical thinking skills are important in any leader. Sarbanes’ colleagues in the Senate thought of him as someone who studied hard and was meticulously prepared—a clear and thorough thinker. A courageous leader, he knew the issues that were important to the people he represented and advocated for them and for the state’s natural resources rather than grandstand and advocate for his own self interests.

One month to the day after his death, on January 6, 2021, the U. S. Capitol building was stormed by our own citizens brandishing weapons and laying siege to the seat of our government and disrupting a joint session of Congress. Later, when Congress convened, some members took the opportunity to grandstand for their own self interests. This is not leadership in any form. It  certainly is not servant leadership as exemplified by Senator Paul Sarbanes. 

It’s time to have many critical and difficult conversations in our organizations and in our nation.

We’ll leave you with the words of another servant leader we lost in 2020, Representative John Lewis: “When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something.” 

Cornelia & Barbara

A Tip From The Manager’s Answer Book: Your Management Brand

 

As a manager, all eyes are on you.  You bring knowledge, skill and experience to the job. Managing in our current environment is and will continue to be different. As work gradually moves back into offices, managers will have to manage differently and trust their employees. Now more than ever before, the quality of output and results must be the focus of performance measurement, rather than the number of activities or amount of time spent at work stations, in order to sustain productivity, avoid burnout and produce results. 

Successful managers have to show they are not only competent in their area of expertise, but they have to show they are credible, agile, and empathic.  So how do you do that, and why is it important.  

Manager’s Tip:  You do it by creating your personal brand. Your brand is how you present yourself – how you communicate, act and interact with others. As a manager, you are representing the organization – whether interacting inside or outside – so you always want to be mindful of how your actions uphold the organization’s positive culture.  There are critical traits that illustrate a positive personal brand. Clearly at the top of the list are ethics and integrity – being true to your values and principles. You demonstrate this by making decisions that don’t contradict your values, seeking out people with common values and respecting the people around you. Trustworthiness is a close second to integrity.  You show other people that they can trust you by maintaining confidences, exercising discretion and avoiding rumors and gossip.  Listen to your staff and be as transparent as you possibly can. Be fair and consistent with your staff and admit when you are wrong.  And finally courage – having the confidence and integrity when you see something is wrong or not moving in the right direction to say something. Confront wrongdoing no matter where it’s occurring. Step up and do the right thing. Finally, courageous leaders not only speak out and take an opposing point of view, they also advocate for ideas and positions that may not appear to be popular.

You can read more in The Manager’s Answer Book a proud 2020 Winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Award.  Section Four is devoted to creating your personal brand.  Ethics and integrity is discussed on page 111, courage on page 113 and trustworthiness on page 120. The Manager’s Answer Book, is available from Amazon -- https://tinyurl.com/y8umaqpz - Barnes & Noble or your local independent bookstore.

When Love is in the Air at Work

“Oh, Maryanne. It was so awkward. I was so afraid they were going to see me.”

“Calm down, Allison,” I said to my friend, a young professional I’ve been mentoring. She was telling me that while she was on a date last weekend—a nice romantic dinner—she spotted two people from work, and there was nothing casual about the dinner they were having. 

“I spotted them across the room on our way in, and fortunately, the maître d’ escorted us into a smaller, more private room. Dave is so romantic,” she sighed, changing the subject for a moment.  “Anyway, they were holding hands and only had eyes for each other, which I guess was good for me.”

“I hope it didn’t spoil your date,” I said smiling. 

“It didn’t, but I know I’ve got to tell my boss tomorrow when he gets back from his trip. It’s tricky because the woman reports to the man she was with, and he heads up a significant line of business, and she manages one of the important projects. Is it an ethics violation if they’re married to other people and dating? Could we fire them for that?”

I knew this was a challenge for Allison. Her family was a close-knit one. Her grandparents just celebrated their 60^th wedding anniversary. I had to frame this as a business problem for her.

“Allison, look at your policies and the situation. You’ve told me your company has no restriction on dating. And whether or not anyone agrees with their behavior or morality on a personal level, it’s not necessarily a violation of business ethics. It doesn’t sound like there’s been a work-related issue until now. If there’s the perception that she’s receiving preferential treatment from him because of their reporting relationship and personal involvement, that could have a big impact.”

“What if anyone else has seen them?”

“Good point, Allison.  And let me say, they’ve not exercised good judgment by appearing in public while trying to keep this relationship secret. Why don’t you suggest to your boss that they be made a part of the solution?  I’m sure they are aware that their personal relationship was bound to have an effect at work. There may be a solution that you’re not aware of. I’m sure there are a number of options that can be explored.”  That seemed to relieve a little of Allison’s anxiety.

As I ended the call and took off my headset, I took a deep breath to clear my head. It's never black and white when you're dealing with people. There are always shades of grey, and managing in that grey zone is the biggest challenge.

Maryanne Robertson

P. S. Who is Maryanne Robertson and why is she writing this post? If you missed our January newsletter, you can find out more about Maryanne at

http://makingpeoplematter.blogspot.com/2020/01/meet-maryanne-robertson.html.