Leadership And Longevity

11/24/2003

"Be good at something, good enough so that you can take quiet pride in knowing that you are a valuable person, that you can do at least one thing well." - David H. Campbell, Jr

LEADERSHIP AND LONGEVITY

In the March 1999 issue of Child Care Information Exchange, we (Bonnie and Roger Neugebauer) wrote an article "The Paradoxes of Leadership: What We've Learned in Twenty Years." One of the paradoxes we explored was, "The longer you work, the less you are appreciated." This is how we explained this paradox:

"You were hired as director when the center was in the red and struggling to survive. You slashed expenditures to the bone, cracked down on late payments, built up enrollment, and got the center on the right track. Then you steadied the course when a disgruntled former teacher started spreading nasty false rumors; you kept the center going through a flu epidemic; and you even kept things afloat when a glitzy new center opened across the street.

"Now you've been on the job 12 years and the center is running as smooth as can be. You naturally assume that, with all your heroic accomplishments in the past, you have a vast store of good will and credibility built up. Then you have to fire a popular teacher for valid reasons, but reasons you can't share with the staff. The teachers revolt and call for your resignation.

"What happened to all that credibility? Since you single-handedly saved the center time and time again, why can't they give you the benefit of the doubt now?

"The problem is that organizations have short memories. Given normal turnover, many of your teachers weren't even around when you were leaping tall buildings in a single bound. And those who were around, now that times are easier, tend to forget how stressful life was in the past. As a matter of fact, the longer your center sails along smoothly, the more staff may think your job has become a slam dunk, even though it is your brilliant management that is responsible for the good times.

"Don't be too harsh on staff for their fickleness. Maybe you are contributing to the problem. Isn't it possible that after all those years of major stress, now you are content to settle into a mode of management that is steadying the course? Just maybe you've become a bit stodgy — reluctant to rock the boat, to try new ventures, to listen to new ideas, to tolerate parents or staff who don't fit a certain profile.

"Longevity and credibility don't go hand in hand. Don't ever assume that you have so much good will built up that you can rest on your laurels. The relevant question is: 'What have you done for the center and all its players lately that earns their appreciation?'"

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