You Don’t Have to Be a Superhero to Lead
By David Abney, CEO of UPS
You see it all the time in sports: An underachieving team gets hot and goes on a winning streak, leaving its long-suffering fans to believe this could be the season it finally wins a championship. Attendance soars, as even the most casual fans suddenly want to share in the experience.
But just as soon as the team reverts to its losing ways, the mood changes. Fans hop off the bandwagon even faster than they got on — calling for the coach to be replaced and the players to be traded.
If you manage people long enough, you’ll see this same phenomenon in the workplace. When business is good, everyone wants to celebrate the experience. In these moments:
The best thing managers can do is step back from the spotlight and let the team — the employees who followed them into the foxhole and did the hard work — soak up the glory.
As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: We did it ourselves.” By sharing the credit, the wise leader knows it will be far easier to win team support for future endeavors.
Of course, every business has its ups and downs. And when times turn tough, I’m often reminded of those “bandwagon” fans in sports. Some employees will distance themselves from a project when it looks like it’s losing support or destined to fail. They’re perfectly content to let the rest of the team find the solution.
These “bandwagon” employees may not think their managers notice what they’re doing, but we usually do. I can easily separate those who disappeared when times turned tough from the leaders who willingly dove in — at perceived risk to their careers — to fix the problem.
But that’s the role of a true leader. I’d liken it to the Mighty Mouse cartoons I watched on TV as a kid. Mighty Mouse would fearlessly fly into a crisis — rescuing Pearl Pureheart from the evil Oil Can Harry — singing, “Here I am to save the day!”
The strongest leaders believe it’s their job to step forward during the tough times, lead by example and inspire the rest of the team to work together to find the solution. The strongest leaders know that the tougher the situation becomes, the more important it is for them to set an example for their people — to be highly visible and to take ownership of both the problem and the solution. If they hold themselves accountable, the other members of the team will see this and be accountable for their actions as well.
Truth be told, businesses sometimes learn more when times are tough than when everything is sailing smoothly.
In every crisis there’s an opportunity — and it’s often the very leaders who throw themselves into a sticky situation who emerge with a new way forward for the company. As scholars have taught us, the things we fear most — fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances — are often the greatest sources of creativity.
Throughout it all, how you carry yourself matters. It’s best to keep an even keel but, at the same time, don’t be afraid to show your passion. Whether you’re leading a small group or an entire organization, employees are looking to you for stability, motivation and leadership. They’ll learn from how you handle yourself in the midst of a crisis. They want to know that you are engaged before they commit.
And real leaders should show a little more humility than cartoon superheroes. They don’t demand credit, even if they do, in fact, help save the day. They realize that more often than not, it takes a team to tackle challenges of any significance.
Employees won’t buy in to the strategy if they see their leader hogging the credit. Conversely, they’ll definitely be reluctant to follow you in the future if they see you looking for a scapegoat to throw under the bus.
And when the good times return and the business is humming once again, leaders should step back and let others take the credit. For the best leaders, that’s the part they enjoy most.
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David Abney, who began his career as a part-time package loader while in college, serves as Chief Executive Officer of UPS. David was appointed CEO in 2014, and is the 11th CEO in the 108-year history of UPS. He was unanimously appointed by the Board of Directors as Chairman in 2016. David previously served as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing logistics, sustainability, engineering and all facets of the UPS transportation network, which serves more than 220 countries and territories and includes a ground fleet of more than 96,000 vehicles and an air fleet of more than 500 aircraft. UPS operates major air hubs in Louisville, Kentucky; Cologne, Germany; and Shenzhen, China.
Before serving as COO, David was president of UPS International, leading the company’s strategic initiative to increase its global logistics capabilities. During his career, David was also involved in a number of global acquisitions that included the Fritz Companies, Stolica, Lynxs, and Sino-Trans in China.
Earlier in his career, he served as president of SonicAir, a same-day delivery service that signaled UPS’s move into the service parts logistics sector. David began his UPS career in 1974 in a small facility in Greenwood, Mississippi, while attending Delta State University.
In addition to his corporate responsibilities, David serves as a Trustee of The UPS Foundation and chairman of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta. He is also a member of the President’s Export Council, the Board of Directors of Johnson Controls, and the Business Roundtable. As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, David serves on the UPS Board of Directors’ Executive Committee.
A native of Greenwood, Miss., David earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Delta State University. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Delta State University Alumni Foundation. He and his wife, Sherry, sponsor the school’s annual symposium on international business.
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com on September 18, 2015.
