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I spent the last weekend of August in England speaking at the Greenbelt Festival. During my session on "Leadership," a woman in the crowd presented a tough dilemma. She explained that her first day back at work following the weekend she fully expected "to be made redundant" (to be fired). "I manage seventeen people; what should I say to them?" she asked, then added, "I certainly don't want my anger at my bosses to affect their job performance."
Before responding to her question, I asked the crowd to give her a big ovation. No one could blame her for feeling bitter or being preoccupied with the uncertainty of her own future. All too often, a dismissed manager tries to poison the troops who will be left behind. The fired one usually feels like he or she has been badly treated, and wants to punish the company. It may sound awful, but the truth is we would hate it if everything went forward smoothly without us.
So I told her that if she indeed does receive notice of dismissal upon her return, to dispense to her charges all the wisdom that she had gained about how to be successful in the company. I encouraged her to act with grace and squelch desires for vengeance. Not only does graciousness benefit those whom we once managed, it is the wisest course of action for our own career. I have watched all too many people burn bridges, never imagining they might once need them to cross over on an unexpected return journey. Even in the weeks ahead, as she looks for a new job, prospective employers may be calling her previous workplace and the toxic waste she would have left behind would spill out.
I once was badly treated in an enterprise - though I escaped dismissal by the skin of my teeth. I did not try to undermine my boss, who surely deserved it (don't we always feel that way?!) But I went about my work with a confidence that quality work rises to the top. Years later, he became a victim of his own undoing, and those senior managers who once disparaged me at his bidding completely changed their attitude toward me. Leadership is not a matter of position. Though we cannot control our job security, we alone determine our vocation.
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