My Kellogg students and participants in the Allen Center executive programs will often ask me, “Harry, I have read all three of your books, and I strongly agree with your values-based leadership principles. However, the values and culture of my company are totally at odds with my values. What do you recommend I do?”
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I often get asked by students and executives in my classes and leadership talks: “Harry, how can I reduce the level of FRUSTRATION in my job?”
Even if you enjoy your job and your career is going well, there are times when you will get frustrated. After reflecting on times that I personally have gotten frustrated, I realized that the usual cause of my frustration was that I made assumptions. I ASSUMED that what I was asking someone or the team to do was clear and that they had agreed to do it. AHHHH, that was the mistake! (Remember the saying about assumptions? I probably shouldn’t include it in a post, but it isn’t good 😉).
It seems like only yesterday that I was attending 5- and 10-year reunions, and I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to attend a 50th reunion…Are those people still capable of even walking around on their own? Well, somehow, here I am already.
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Ask Harry #11: If your boss undermines the trust in your working relationship, should you confront him?
This question was sent to me by a student who experienced this situation recently. It reflects a theme I encounter frequently in my discussions with my part time Kellogg MBA students who work fulltime and take classes in the evening, as well as the Kellogg EMBA students who fly in for weekend classes. For these students, these questions are not a theoretical exercise; they are trying to apply the leadership concepts in my classes to actual decisions in the real world.
Harry discusses what makes work worth the effort and how we can increase in virtues when work is done well.
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