Leadership lessons from Toronto’s crack-smoking mayor

So it appears that Toronto’s Mayor, Rob Ford, has found himself in a bit of a pickle. It turns out that his flat-out denial about smoking crack-cocaine may have been premature and, as it turns out, incorrect.

The sworn affidavits and hours of police surveillance footage might have influenced his decision to publicly admit he smokes crack cocaine but (thankfully) he is VERY sorry, promises it won’t happen again and will continue to lead Canada’s largest city.

Or will he?

It’s not a surprise to anyone but Mayor Ford that he’s lost the support of City Council and some (but not all) of the citizens of Toronto. What might be more surprising is that his approval rating actually increased.

And just so this isn’t a complete waste of taxpayer’s dollars, let’s look at what Leadership lessons can be drawn from this otherwise embarrassing situation.

1. You’re an agent of the organization.

You took a high paying, high profile role with an organization and, as such, you represent the entire organization. You might not like it and maybe it’s unfair but you can’t change the fact that it’s true. When you take the big chair it comes with some obligations and one of them is presenting yourself as an agent of the organization and everything you do reflects back on the rest of the team: good or bad. This includes the things you do and the company you keep.

2. People care about your values.

In the same vein as the first point, not only do people care about what you do, they also care about who you are and what you believe in. I’m not saying you need to be spreading the word of God or whatnot but your character defines you as a Leader. Words like integrity, honesty, law-abiding and scrupulous go a long way in people’s eyes. There is a birds-of-a-feather mentality in the leader/follower relationship so you will absolutely attract people with the same value system.

3. Be transparent.

Don’t lie. Lying is bad. You can’t have trust without integrity and you can’t have integrity if you lie. If you want people to believe in you, in what you stand for and where you’re taking the organization they have to believe you and believe “in” you. Without trust you’re like…well…a Mayor without a City Council. And gaining trust back can be very difficult. Saying, “I’m sorry” just doesn’t cut it.

4. Be yourself.

Say what you will but Rob Ford is who he is and doesn’t pretend to be anyone else. He’s over-weight, drinks, swears, womanizes, reads while he drives, has a temper, homophobic and, now, he smokes crack. Perhaps he’s not the guy you want your son to grow up to be like but his approval rating went up for a reason: he’s real and he’s relatable. Too many Leaders forget to walk among the people and that causes their downfall. I’m not saying you need to run out and buy a crack pipe but showing that you’re a human being can go a long way.

5. What goes around comes around.

The biggest secret in any organization is that there are no secrets. If you think that you can withhold information, cook the books or bury the truth you’re sorely mistaken. Make no mistake but people are talking. Make your decisions wisely and proudly. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t want repeated and don’t do anything you wouldn’t brag about.

Mayor Ford, we know you have more lessons for us but, for now at least, we want to thank you for the ones you’ve given us. Most importantly and in its simplest form: “Don’t be compared to a crack-smoking Mayor.”