True Lies: Leadership lessons in uncertain times

The recent antics of prime minister, Boris Johnson, has got Dave Keeling wondering about the leadership lessons we can learn from the debacle, as well as the qualities all good leaders should ideally possess.

Blurred leadership lines

‘Partygate’ has fast become the most recent go-to example of how ridiculous British politics has become since the shaggy-headed, whiff-waffy prevaricator took the reins of government. And yet in this ever-confusing world of lies, spin, self-positioning and yet more spin, it becomes increasingly more complicated to disseminate fact from fiction. 

The lines are blurred, the rules have changed and the truth suddenly doesn’t seem to matter anymore.

And all this before I happened to chance upon a clip of a politician arguing whether or not she did or did not attend the infamous ‘gathering of people’ outside - rules the rest of us had not, 10 minutes before, been told to adhere to or reap a massive fine. 

I had to watch it twice before I realised it was indeed a satirical skit created by talented comedian Rosie Holt. The clip lasts about a minute and within it, you witness a woman using language you recognise but don’t seem to understand. Or to paraphrase the late, great Eric Morecambe, “All the right notes but not necessarily in the right order.”

It’s not clear what she really means and I’m not entirely sure her character knows either, but it’s spoken with absolute confidence and just a soupçon of smugness - something we’ve seen oh so many times before from people in power who should know better. 

The importance of communication and messaging

How embarrassing for us as a nation that the people we’ve entrusted to guide us through these precarious times are happy to play fast and loose with the truth. To such an extent that we can no longer clearly separate the difference between parody and real life, blurring the lines between real and ridiculous or powerful rhetoric and Peppa Pig.

It’s said that in times of great challenge, messages must be clearer than ever. It’s one of the cornerstones of psychological safety in any workplace or situation, along with a learning culture, collaboration and support. People will take great comfort from understanding their role, as well as the roles and responsibilities of those around them. 

The clearer the message, the more confident and in control people will feel.

The Center for Creative Leadership lists four key components for effective communication:

1. Communicate relentlessly

2. Simplify and be direct

3. Listen and encourage

4. Affirm with actions

The last 2 years has brought with it a lot of uncertainty and this sense of unease has had a huge impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the population.

A statistic from the mental health foundation suggests that, in the last 18 months, 2 in 3 men have been stressed to the point where they felt overwhelmed or couldn’t cope. 

This is why having values and putting them at the heart of the decision-making process is so important if you want to have a clear purpose/direction, and wish to lead with integrity.

Leadership and integrity

The dictionary definition of integrity is: to adhere to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty

What we’ve witnessed over the last few years, and especially the last 10 months, regarding ‘partygate’ is the absolute antithesis of the definition above.

When a leader dismisses integrity, sends out misinformation and ceases to live the values they expect from the people they represent, the very idea of trust, faith and belief in the system diminishes very quickly. A system that’s designed to protect them. 

When someone is caught in a lie, backed into a corner or dug themselves into a very big hole, instead of modelling the behaviours of a leader, you’ll see them display a very different collection of behaviours such as fight, flight, flock or freeze. What we’ve witnessed recently is a complex combination of flight and flock: 

• Flight - procrastinating, stalling or sending out confusing information designed to befuddle anyone on the receiving end

• Flock - surrounding yourself with people who think and behave just like you, and sending them out in an attempt to justify your own ridiculousness 

According to an article in Forbes magazine, there are 8 qualities a great leader should possess:

1. Sincere enthusiasm
2. Integrity 
3. Great communication skills
4. Loyalty
5. Decisiveness
6. Managerial competence 
7. Empowerment
8. Charisma

The name ‘Boris’ doesn’t exactly leap out at the mention of these qualities, does it?

So when it comes to integrity, I’d like to add my own bit of wisdom:

“If you always tell the truth then you’ll never have to remember anything.”

Good news for Peppa Pig, not so good for the UK!

If you’re struggling with your mental health, or know someone who is, why not come and join Dave Keeling for our FREE Man Chat webinar on 3rd February? You’ll get some tips and strategies to help yourself or those around you.