On the latest episode of Lessons in Leadership, Dave Anderson, leadership expert and founder of LearnToLead, explores the third temptation faced by successful organizations: leaders who stop leading from the front. As part of his ongoing series on the six temptations of successful organizations, Anderson warns that complacency can quietly erode a company’s momentum even during prosperous times.
“When leaders spend time in the trenches, it’s usually when the numbers are in trouble,” Anderson said. “But as prosperity rises, a lot of that hands-on involvement seems less necessary. We start spending more time just steering the ship and maintaining rather than leading.”
Anderson explained that the third temptation arises when leaders become less engaged with their teams, spending more time behind their desks and less time mentoring, coaching, and providing feedback. This shift from “people work” to “paperwork” may feel natural during stable periods, but can slowly erode team performance and morale.
He urged leaders to reflect on their daily habits:
- What is your ratio of paperwork to people work?
- Who are you mentoring?
- How often do you provide feedback or conduct one-on-ones?
- Are you still acting as a catalyst within your team?
“It’s really easy to spend more time with stuff because stuff is easier. Stuff doesn’t have personal problems and create drama,” Anderson said.
“General Patton said once, ‘It is impossible to be aloof and effective at the same time.’”
Anderson advised leaders to schedule daily walkarounds, initiate accountability conversations, lead with questions, and maintain high standards even when business is booming. He reminded viewers that falling out of these habits during good times often explains why some companies stumble later.
“Evaluate it… where you’ve stopped leading and started maintaining,” he said. “Face it, fix it, acknowledge it, change it. And when you’re winning, don’t stop doing those things.”
Anderson’s next installment will focus on the fourth temptation facing high-performing organizations.
