Thoughts On Leading With Greatness

You're a good person. I'm a good person. That woman over there, see her? She's a good person. The man right past her, the one kicking his dog, he's a good person too.Are you buying any of this?Please don't. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Learn how marketing eats merit for breakfast. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Think of a clenched fist. What comes to mind? For most people a fist evokes strength, aggression, and even a touch of violence. A raised fist screams defiance and declares revolutionary solidarity. A fist shaken in the face? It's a prelude to a fight. In our culture, fists are undeniably masculine. Men punch, and women slap. Or so we imagine.Therefore, it's no surprise that bosses—as we conceive them—are more comparable to fists than open hands. Bosses want to exude an aura of toughness, an uncompromising stance. The stereotypical hardboiled, cigar-chomping autocrat. The iron man: red hot on the outside but cool within. Like a boss, right? Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Let's sketch a scene. Imagine holding a classic rocks glass—one of those short tumblers used for whiskey. Its thick walls and solid base give it an appealing heft in your hand. Now picture a fancy swizzle stick leaning tall against the rim. Go ahead and grab that stick and give it a good whirl, really swizzle the hell out of that glass.Oh, and one tiny detail, the glass in your hand, the one you're vigorously swizzling, is filled with semi-liquified crap.Feeling queasy? Sorry about that, but it could be a side effect of today's focus—the art and value of progressive s**t-stirring! Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

We don't often think of the typical workplace as a site of worship, but workplace-based worship is widespread among the religious and the non-religious alike. From the devout believer to the avowed atheist, many or even most of us worship power. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

One pair of homonyms that directly relates to leadership and that consistently causes spelling angst is “principle” ending in “le” and “principal” ending in “al.” More critically, though, we also mix up the meaning of these words when it comes to leadership, thinking that “principal,” meaning the first and foremost, is more important than “principle,” meaning a rule or code.I can offer any number of examples of bosses, people in leadership positions, unarguably the principal individuals, who are deeply unprincipled. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

What does a person's behavior suggest about their level of competence?The most competent among us aren't hyper-confident and are often riven with self-doubt, which you might not realize if you aren't close to them or you actually are them. I'm not talking about imposter syndrome. The self-doubt a competent leader experiences is an entirely healthy and even necessary element of their competence. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

"Hero” is an overused and much abused term. There's even a concept called “heroic leadership.” (And now we are at the heart of the matter!)Think about that phrase. What does it evoke for you? What image does it conjure? Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Most leadership advice suggests that empathy is a key component to effective leadership, and I won't disagree. Leaders empathize to improve their ability to communicate and to compromise. But…Empathy is not inherently good. Empathy can be a component of morality, but it's not moral in itself. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Have you ever considered the inherent value of taking action and getting things done? We sometimes refer to comic book heroes as “action heroes,” but do you think action is heroic in and of itself? Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Sometimes it's okay to break the rules. Sometimes it's absolutely the right thing to do. Do you ever break the rules on purpose? Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Have you noticed the recent change of seasons? I always feel inspired by the arrival of a new April to change things up myself. How about instead of writing about how awful bosses are, we take a look at how to be the best boss possible? After all, bosses are people too (at least in the biological sense). Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

So much information, and so little time to review it, which is to say nothing of comprehending and intelligently responding to it. We drift in a world awash in information, gulping it down as quickly as possible in hopes we don't drown.Yet, “leaders are readers,” or so they say. Leaders gain knowledge and a degree of understanding by guzzling information. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Why do the best leaders find it necessary to eschew comfort to pursue progress? It's for the same reason that the best teachers challenge themselves while seeking to disrupt student complacency. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

In the workplace and elsewhere, we can witness a different but similar sort of corruption in which an outside influence eats away at integrity until it's compromised out of existence. That influence could be money or power, but often it's overwork and stress leading to exhaustion, shoddy work, cover-ups, and increasing dishonesty. Much corruption stems from mental and moral fatigue and the action or inaction of those at the top of the organization. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

The power structures and politics of the average workplace provide a perfect arena for cruelty. I have written about the necessity of human decency in leadership and the workplace, and decency forms the thematic backbone of my upcoming book, Greater than Great. I've also addressed the causes and types of bad behavior in the workplace, but what about plain mean-spiritedness in our workaday lives? Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

The current fashion is for business leaders to excitedly prattle on about “moving fast and breaking things,” but that's most often heedless and even childish advice. “Breaking things” only works if you don't care much what comes next. One of the fundamental challenges of leadership is deciding if, when, and how to disrupt the status quo—to break things. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

There they are. The terminal words. “Common sense.” The phrase is just another way of declaring, “You shut up now. We're done here.” It's is a vestige of a supposedly bygone era when bosses simply made up rules as they went along, often after the fact.It makes an excellent conversation ender because who can argue with common sense? It's the answer to every tough “why?” or “how?” question that you want to evade. You can even wield common sense in response to quantifiable or demonstrable matters. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Why does the autocratic workplace—that gulag of ineptitude—still hold such appeal? Why are workers willing to overlook their broken cultures and the fecklessness that accompany them? I've addressed the mythology of autocratic bosses before, but why do we allow or even want our entire workplaces structured in their image? Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Have you ever noticed on social media that people who include others in their selfies are usually the most prominent person in every photo? It's as though they're the protagonist in some unwritten narrative. If every picture tells a story, these selfies shout out that one person matters more than the rest. Such photos are visual symbols of main character syndrome (MCS) at work. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

When we hear the word “severance” we usually think of a severance package, the money and benefits granted to some terminated workers. But severance refers specifically to the act of severing employees from their employment by “cutting” positions or directly “axing” workers. Like “termination,” these are violent words, indicating a chopping off, an amputation, decapitation, or death. Workplace lingo can be so cruel! Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

It's time I come clean. I'm always writing about integrity in some form or other, and I'm sincere in my desire to encourage the understanding and practice of integrity among leaders. Candidly, though, I rarely write about the downside of integrity: it can hurt. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

We humans have a love-hate relationship with efficiency. On the one hand, we keenly want our systems to be efficient, to not waste time, energy, or physical resources. On the other hand, most efficiency stratagems are indistinguishable from austerity schemes handed down from on-high. The truth is that sustainable efficiency rarely comes from above or from outside. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

When was the last time you reviewed your past, present, and yet to be?It was a dark and stormy afternoon. Eb was in the middle of chewing out stupid Bob, who was on the verge of tears.Eb was furious at Bob for his constant nattering about Eb's alleged neglect of the corporate mission. “What a lot of hooey!” Eb yelled. “The mission's just a sap to sell more stock to do-gooder shareholders, or haven't you figured that out yet!”With that he summarily fired Bob. “I want you out of here by five, sharp!”Bob gasped, “But, sir, it's Christmas Eve!”Eb relished for a moment the tears welling up in the poor man's eyes. What a crybaby! Eb then snapped at him, “If I could, I'd fire you on Christmas! Now pack up your belongings and get out!”As pathetic Bob shuffled out the door, Eb enjoyed the man's departing sniffles and thought how satisfying it was to fire Bob Cratchit on Christmas Eve. He might just have to make the Christmas Eve firing a tradition. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

What happens when people obey in advance?Once bully bosses establish themselves as the alphas, many employees will submit in advance with little prompting. Capitulators compromise their values, betray loyalties, and even sacrifice their own most fundamental interests to cater to a boss's whims. Here's a simple rule: True leaders never obey in advance. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Great leaders act. They strive to do good—to do both good work and good works. Everything else they leave to the neutrals—those chronically indifferent, morally gutless, and ethically spineless “caitiff wretches”—the chief enemy of the good.When the neutrals sit down, you know it's time for the leaders to stand up. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Love him or despise him, Clinton stood as a colossus in American politics despite his profusion of personal failings, retrograde behaviors, and carnal appetites—which seem almost quaint today. One of the keys to his apparent political success was also his greatest deficit as a person: his ability to compartmentalize. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Let's talk about that most persistent of boss myths: that the tougher they are, the more effective they are. This nonsense is related to the “strongman” myth in politics, which assumes that authoritarian leaders are somehow superior at getting things done. There's that tired line about how Benito Mussolini, the brutal fascist dictator of Italy known as Il Duce, got the decrepit Italian trains to run on time. Except he didn't. What worked so well in fascist Italy wasn't the rail system; it was Mussolini's propaganda machine. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

The Ancient Greek philosopher Plutarch may offer some insight here. Plutarch wrote, “I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod.” Perhaps feeling a little cheeky, he added, “My shadow does that much better.” Plutarch certainly would have rejected an enabling shadow like Jeff Greene as a friend. As it goes with television characters and Greek philosophers, so it goes with leaders. Unchecked personal loyalty can be detrimental and even destructive as we see with Larry's friend Jeff. As Plutarch suggests, such an ally is as useless as a shadow or worse. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

We all know the type. Think of television and movie characters such as Logan Roy from Succession. Or consider historical world leaders such as Napoleon. What do all these individuals—real or imagined—have in common? They have all embraced the “strongman” model of leadership . The strongman model occurs far more prevalently in everyday life. It's the way of many or even most bosses. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Just the other day, something extraordinary happened. Someone praised me.Not that no one ever praises me, but it was the context that made it land differently.For years, I struggled to accept compliments with the grace they deserve. When praised, my mind would grumble, “What's their angle” or “If only they knew…” I'd tell myself I needed to dismiss their recognition so I could “stay humble,” which really just reflected a limiting belief that I'm not deserving.Like all limiting beliefs, it's silly and untrue of course; earned praise is deserved praise. I eventually realized how off-putting it was when I deflected others' compliments. I wasn't being humble. I was being ungracious and ungrateful.So, I learned to accept compliments in the spirit they're offered. This shift also unlocked the door to gratitude and its rewards.What happened the other day reminded me of all this. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Bossplainers have a compulsion to expound on how to do everything. Their behavior is utterly demoralizing because it starts and ends with the assumption that people don't know what they're doing. Every error—perceived or real—is blown out of proportion. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

One of my favorite sayings comes from Mike Tyson, the champion boxer:Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.So, if plans are so useless, why plan? Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Are you ready for a shocking revelation that could save your business and improve the wellbeing of everyone around you? Well, brace yourself because what I'm about to expose may upset you.If you're a clear-thinker who values candor, keep reading and heed every word. Your company's and even your own future may depend on it. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Let's just get this out of the way: Bosses are never leaders. As for leaders, they're never bosses.So, it's that simple. Bosses aren't leaders. But how do you tell the difference between a mere boss and a true leader? Sometimes it's just obvious. You simply know. But if you're not sure, one easy test is to determine which direction they're running. One will be running away and one running toward. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Leadership is practically in my blood. From a young age, I have been thrust into leadership positions, and I had to rely on my wits to succeed. Nonetheless, I always was a pretty good gut leader.Leadership is a skill, and like any other skill you can be born into it, but it must also be learned. The thing with learning new skills, though, is that while someone can guide you through the process, they cannot teach you the actual skill. That only comes through application and practice. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Are you awake? How can you be sure?Someone once observed, “It's only when you wake up that you notice you were sleeping.” It's a thinker, a puzzle, a paradox. Consider how often you operate on autopilot, un-present and unaware of your unawareness. It takes an act of consciousness—triggered from the outside or from within—to realize we've been sleepwalking.Download my free resource, the Transform To GREATness Toolkit, now! Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

What a spectacle! A 70-something-year-old white man commanding the stage as he bellows into a microphone. He holds this packed stadium in thrall to his every utterance. The crowd is in raptures. His crowd. They've heard all he has to say before, and they want to hear it all again. They cheer, they chant, and they yell his words back in sync to him.This is not some tawdry political rally, though, and the man on stage is no bumptious demagogue. He is Bruce Springsteen—“The Boss”—performing at a recent concert I attended. And I can tell you that his reputation as a fantastic showman is solid. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Have you ever felt like you're faking your way through work and life? This happens to most if not all of us—the phenomenon we call “imposter syndrome.”As a leadership coach and as a fellow human being rumbling along this rugged road of existence, I've encountered this syndrome more times than I care to ponder. You know it well. It's that insidious nagging voice that tells you, "You don't belong here," despite all the evidence to the contrary. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Last year I delved into the corporate culture of crisis, shedding light on its high costs and offering some strategies to break free from the grip of this mindset. If you missed that, you can catch up with the article here.Now let's dig a little more deeply into crisis culture, starting with the word itself. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

It's time I expand my reach to a much bigger crowd, one teaming with mindless ambition, baseless pride, and bottomless avarice. That's right, this one isn't for the rare servant leader. It's for superabundant self-serving bosses! You know who you are—the top dogs, the fat cats, the kingfishes.So let's pluck some of that low-hanging fruit and help you head honcho-types out there to up your nasty bossing game. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Confucius offers this insight on gaining wisdom:By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Have you ever tried to transform the very soul of an organization—its culture? Quite the task, right? To thoroughly transform a culture for the better, you need to look to and master the Rule of Thirds Strategy. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Let's sketch a scene. Imagine holding a classic rocks glass—one of those short tumblers used for whiskey. Its thick walls and solid base give it an appealing heft in your hand. Now picture a fancy swizzle stick leaning tall against the rim. Go ahead and grab that stick and give it a good whirl, really swizzle the hell out of that glass.Oh, and one tiny detail, the glass in your hand, the one you're vigorously swizzling, is filled with semi-liquified crap.Feeling queasy? Sorry about that, but it could be a side effect of today's focus—the art and value of progressive s**t-stirring! Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Tell me if you've seen something like this: You're at work (or working from home), toiling away, when suddenly there's an announcement. Your coworker just got the big promotion everyone was vying for. Let's call him Chad. This isn't the first time our buddy Chad reaped the rewards, which would be great if Chad were the go-getter his win streak suggests, but everyone knows Chad's a dud. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Have you ever thought about your legacy?For leaders, legacy is paramount. But the leader's legacy is not about self-congratulation and ego-stroking. In fact, the leader's legacy is largely the result of leaders just doing what leaders do, making a significant impact that happens to reverberate long after they've left the building. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

“One day…”Only two words, but what an impact! It's the battle cry of the chronic procrastinator. We promise ourselves and others that we'll get around to that task or fulfill that desire…one day. Our intentions may be innocent and pure, but our motivation is slippery—that is, if it even exists.Consider this current moment—right now. Whatever is happening, much seems set. It's hard for us to imagine change without choosing to do so. So we have two flavors of “one day” to savor. The first is the “one day” of chronic delay—I'll get to it. The second is the “one day” of inevitable change—it'll get to me. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Great leaders work to build relationships and cultures that eliminate assumptions. They engender mutual trust, transparency, and open communication. It's an ongoing process, sure, but well worth it. What's more, great leaders also ask (and answer) a lot of questions, and not just when they are new! Dump the assumptions and give it a try. Thrill as you discover your team's unexpected skills. You never know who might turn out to have that secret ability you need. They may even know how to drive stick. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

Let me tell you about this truth my friend Jeff laid on me a few weeks ago. Jeff is a serial entrepreneur and all-around wise man, and he observed, “in any communication, the listener has all the power.” That profundity has been tumbling around in my head ever since. It's a great way for leaders to think about communication. When it comes to a delivered message, the ear has it all over the mouth. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

In Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl, the Austrian psychologist, philosopher, and holocaust survivor, writes of his experience: “From all this we may learn that there are two races of men in this world, but only these two—the "race" of the decent man and the "race" of the indecent man. Both are found everywhere; they penetrate into all groups of society. No group consists entirely of decent or indecent people.”To be clear, Frankl isn't drawing a simplistic line between the camp overseers—the perpetrators—and the prisoners—their victims with the former as the indecent race and the latter among the decent race. His observation comes after recounting a surprising act of compassion by a camp foreman who risked his life to slip Frankl a piece of his own bread rations. This kindness, small but monumental, illustrates Frankl's assessment of human nature that “the boundaries between groups overlapped.” That decency can exist in the most indecent of places. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of On Leading with Greatness, Jim Salvucci of Guidance for Greatness delves into the counterintuitive reality of leadership where we often favor flashy, incompetent leaders over consistent, capable ones. By contrasting the styles of a crisis-loving manager named Carl and a reliable, drama-free manager named Pam, Jim highlights the societal bias influenced by the Dunning-Kruger effect and the action fallacy. Discover why marketing and sensationalism overshadow true merit and learn how to identify and nurture genuinely effective leaders. Get full access to On Leading With Greatness at jimsalvucci.substack.com/subscribe