As 2013 has ended, America has witnessed the least productive Congress and most almost financial crisises in its history.
Since all failures can help others to learn, what does this government failure teach us?
1. Being positional is a path to disaster. – Regardless of party or beliefs, being unwilling to see the other’s point of view or even consider that there is a middle ground is not just unrealistic, it leads to inaction. This inaction is the fastest path to failure.
2. Letting a small group dominate the majority means inaction – When the loudest voices from the smallest group control the conversation, nothing can get done.
3. When nothing gets done, people lose faith in leaders – It’s better to take an action that needs to be corrected than do nothing.
4. No one wants to hear why things are getting done, they just want results – It’s easy to point out why things didn’t happen. Point the finger and say its someone else’s fault. But in the end, people want to see progress. If the lights go out, does it matter who’s fault it is BEOFRE you get the lights back on? No, not really.
So thanks Congress and the White House. You’ve taught some valuable lessons on how not to lead.
Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.
Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
