In our view, senior executives are frequently focused on the mistakes made by themselves and both direct and indirect reports. While keeping an “eye” on errors certainly deserves some attention, making note of how quickly people RECOVER from mistakes is just as important – if not more so!
What it all comes down to is “Do you own the fire or does the fire own you.”
As most of you know, we tend to gravitate to where we are most psychologically comfortable when under pressure. It happens. And it happens predictably – on an ongoing basis. The issue is not if we do so. The bigger issue is if we catch ourselves and alter our behaviour in order to perform in a different manner that is more effective.
As an example, many CEO’s I know (especially the good ones) possess a certain remoteness and reserve. They distrust easily and that distrust can quickly lead to a certain degree of unfounded paranoia. They will often think “How is this person messing with me or going to screw me over?” – when no such thing is actually happening. Interestingly, that sense of distrust is a good thing in a CEO – until the problem “grabs” the corner office executive too “hard” and the paranoia takes over – which can often lead to less than desirable outcomes and results. If the CEO in question continues to allow his/her natural instincts to rule and lets distrust dominate their behavior, then that leader will find themselves in a situation in which the “fire” owns them and they do not have control over the “fire.”
There are so many other circumstances, far too numerous to mention here, where the fire rules executives and managers throughout an organization. Bottom line. Do not worry if you know that the fire exists in you. It is time to pay attention when you let that fire control you and not the other way around. Because if it does, you are not recovering quickly enough – and that can lead to some serious errors in judgment.
