September 17, 2024
by Stephen T. Messenger
The first time I described my Leadership Constitution to a brand-new team, I’ll admit, it was intimidating. This talk was how I outlined my leadership expectations to both me and my team. I talked about my core values and high standards that I expected others and myself to uphold. This talk to any team is so important… and a little scary…
It’s tough to lay out our values in front of a group of people and have them judge it. But this week I got another opportunity to present it to a whole new team, and I was excited.
There’s no substitute for a leader clearly articulating their core values and expectations. It eliminates ambiguity and baselines leader-to-led expectations.
A constitution is a set of rules that describe and guide how something functions. Scott O’Neil, CEO of several professional sports teams and author of Be Where Your Feet Are, defines a Leadership Constitution as a document that defines our values and how we will lead.
As I stood there describing my Leadership Constitution, the excitement came not because of the words I was saying, but from knowing the high standards I was setting for myself. I was now publicly accountable to everyone in the room (and Teams), and that was a good—albeit scary—thing; scary because I, like all of us, am a very fallible person.
James Kouzes and Barry Posner, authors of The Leadership Challenge, conducted a survey repeated every year for the past three decades asking followers of the number one leadership attribute they pine for and respect above all else. Without fail, one attribute topped the list year after year: credibility.
Followers long for a leader who lays out their value system and then does what they say they will do. That is credibility.
Rules of Leadership
Colin Powell has an incredible resume: Four-Star General, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, National Security Advisor, and Secretary of State. His leadership was prolific. A two-time Vietnam veteran, he proved his mettle on the battlefield from the jungles to the desert, leading the coalition during the 1991 Gulf War.
A soldier-statesman, Powell exemplified leadership at every level, tactical and strategic. He led troops into battle and countries into peace. In his 2012 memoir, “It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership,” Powell outlined his 13 leadership rules to live by. This was how he publicized his core values:
- It ain’t as bad as you think! It will look better in the morning.
- Get mad then get over it.
- Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.
- It can be done.
- Be careful what you choose. You may get it.
- Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.
- You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours.
- Check small things.
- Share credit.
- Remain calm. Be kind.
- Have a vision. Be demanding.
- Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers.
- Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.
His list was a way to communicate his core values, what he expected out of others, and how people should hold him accountable for his leadership. We all need to do the same.
Credibility
Credibility is the foundation of leaders. Followers seek a leader who they trust. They want someone who is open, forthright, and transparent. People demand someone who holds the highest standards, is not afraid to speak to those values in public, and then lives out those values.
Credibility revolves around honest behavior. It’s the simple things such as:
– Fulfilling commitments. If we say we’re going to do something today, complete it today.
– Showing up on time. Begin and end every meeting on schedule—don’t waste their time.
– Thinking first, speaking second. Don’t say things just to please others. Take some time to think through our words.
– Keeping confidentiality. If we can’t say something, don’t. Instead of breaching trust or lying that we don’t know, just explain we’re not at liberty to say.
– Apologizing when wrong. We all make mistakes. Say sorry and move on.
– Give the tough message. Not everything we say others will like. That’s okay. Speak the hard message and explain the rationale behind it.
People want to follow someone who is honest because our honesty is directly linked to our credibility. They want to work for someone with good morals, character, and principles. Their leader is a direct reflection on themselves, and vice versa.
Leadership Constitution
Just like Colin Powell, we need to publicly espouse our values. After getting this idea from Scott O’Neil and pitching it countless times, I truly believe everyone should have a Leadership Constitution.
O’Neil recommends that after forming one, we publicly declare it to our team. What this does is hold us accountable to the values and commitments we’re making. Others know what we stand for, and they can validate our credibility.
My Leadership Constitution is as follows:
(this is A way… not THE way…)
What I’ve found is that it’s not easy to publicly announce our value system to others, especially the first time, but its critical. Everyone places importance on different values, and it’s easy to judge what other’s think are important.
Doing this exercise multiple times with many different audiences, however, I’ve found that others appreciate knowing who they’re following. It’s like you’re making a contract with them.
And they desire someone who has extremely high value standards. Someone who, on first impression by sharing their Leadership Constitution, is honest, competent, inspiring, and forward-thinking—the top four leadership characteristics in the Kouzes and Posner survey.
Our people may not agree with everything in it, but they also don’t have to. For example, I don’t drink alcohol. For me, I’ve found that it tastes terrible and doesn’t help my body perform its best. There’s no judgement from me on others who drink; I just don’t do it.
Not all our values will match. But 99% will, and those are the items others need to hear.
Declare Our Values Publicly
The Leadership Constitution is a way to think about how we’re going to lead, communicate with our teams, and live out our best selves.
Our people are looking at us to be credible above all else, to do what we say we will do. To demonstrate this, we should develop our value system, tell others about it, and live it out every day. This is challenging. We’re all humans and will fail often.
Luckily, no one is looking for the perfect leader. They’re looking for one who is honest, competent, inspiring, and forward-thinking; and they’re looking for a credible leader who knows what they stand for.
This series is part of our BRAG+1 Leadership Philosophy. If you’re just joining us, start from the beginning on 16 January: A Team to BRAG about and continue from there:
Boots: Put Boots on the Ground
Regimentals: Place Service over Self
Armor: Be Resilient to Life’s Attacks
Gun: Close with and Destroy the Enemy
+1 (Belt): Not a Hint, Sniff, nor Whiff of Impropriety
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Ryan, thanks for the note and appreciate your leadership out there! Thanks for sharing the articles to help others. Sounds like you’re ready to move to the next level and write an article yourself to share your thoughts with them 🙂 Let me know if you’re interested!
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