In our last article we discussed the biggest problem: lack of responsibility… And most comments I got from friends is that this is not a problem from technology only. It is everywhere…
So true…
This week Brazil is immersed in some off the charts leadership crisis. It is hard not to refer to it when we think about career, and responsibility. In the last couple of days, we saw here the publication of recorded conversations between some of the highest ranking government officials. Disdain towards peers and institutions, swear words, threats, bad taste jokes with common people…
I’m sure we’ve seen this in countries everywhere. The political debates will go on forever. One side will repeat endless that nothing said was “really” illegal. The other side will try to show that yes, it was “really” illegal…
That’s politics… Not the life most of us live in…
In our daily lives, usually we won’t do anything that is “really” illegal. So, the distinction is irrelevant. Who cares if what was said is “really” illegal, if it already shows the character of who said it…
While astonished by the news, one quote kept coming back to me. From a book I read many times as a teen, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah:
“Live never to be ashamed if anything you do or say is published around the world — even if what is published is not true.”
― Richard Bach, Illusions
Very hard… But shows the measure of our responsibility! We are not responsible “only” when we are presenting publicly. Or “only” when we are being recorded. Or “only” when we write an email to the customer.
Our careers are full time endeavors. The sexist joke said around the water cooler. The disdain to low ranking personnel while walking towards the stage. The personal harassing of peers during heated discussions… Those are all career limiting acts. They don’t give us an edge, they don’t mark us as eccentric, or with a “strong ego”. They show lack of character and responsibility. Lack of leadership.
Some well known leaders have done and succeeded with those tactics. This is maybe a statement of the incredible talent they showed in other areas. Or more probably, the sorry lack of leadership we suffer, that we end up falling for it. It is not a receipt for success. Even big leaders have destroyed their careers…
Remember Richard Bach, and lets live our careers as if everything was transparent. With the internet, it really is. Eventually!
I agree with several points of the text, plus the lack of leadership is one of the things that are exposed in this text in a context that had not thought. Cool!
