Most Potential Leaders Overestimate the Perks, Underestimate the Price

Leadership Responsibility Is Deceptively Expensive

Derek was ambitious, talented and very driven.

For months, he outperformed everyone on the team. He was a force of nature — a highly productive salesman.

When it came to sales, the word “no” was not within Derek’s hearing frequency.  He just kept showing up until he heard “yes” from the prospect.

I loved his energy. Everyone loved his energy.

Before long, a leadership positioned opened up on the team. He wanted it in the worst way, and I thought he was ready.

I promoted Derek to sales manager.  As we shall see, I made the frequent mistake of elevating a top sales person to a management role. (Great sales people are rarely good managers.)

The problems started within two days when I overheard Derek shouting at a co-worker. Apparently, this teammate was not bestowing on Derek the authority his new position required.

Within a couple weeks, Derek had run over 80% of his team. It was his way, or no way. He was a “do as I say, not as I do” type of leader.

The team was in open rebellion. Great co-workers were threatening to quit.

Leadership’s fatal mindset

Derek’s leadership was a disaster due to one fatal mindset: he wanted to lead to make life better for him, not for his team.

He was a self-serving leader.

He failed to grasp the long term payoff of servant leadership. In every culture and society, servant leaders win more in business and relationships. There are no exceptions.

Derek overestimated the perks of his leadership and underestimated the price.

So, I fired Derek. I felt happy for my team and sad for Derek. I guess that was my price of leadership on that day.

This wide-eyed fantasy thinking is common with potential leaders. Sadly, it exists almost as often with established leaders.

I have seen correlations between Perks v. Price in leadership.

More income perk

The price for the income perk in leadership is higher expectations and increased responsibility.

You now have a thinner margin for error in your performance. You better deliver more and do it more consistently.

Stress levels are higher. More eyes are watching. More people depend on your decision making and leadership.

More influence perk

Your leadership title may give you more influence on paper. But, most often, titles have no impact on real influence with teammates.

The most effective leaders don’t need a title to influence.

A bigger title may give you a louder microphone. It may give you more compliance from teammates — because you can fire them. But, we all know this is not “real” influence.

The price for transformative influence with hearts and minds is paid through building trust. That requires time and modeling from you.

More freedom perk

Uh? . . . No!

You now have less freedom as a leader.

Welcome to leadership. The higher you go up the leadership ladder, the less freedom you have.

You no longer have the freedom to be late to meetings, to goof off, or to surf the internet. You have to meet your deadlines and live above reproach.

You can’t gossip anymore about co-workers. Your words weigh a ton. Guard your tongue, new leader.

The negative things you do in moderation, your team will do in excess. Get used to this math and put a “2x” behind the unproductive things you do.

You must be “always on.” You are being watched all the time. Leaders pay a bigger price for “off moments.”

More prestige perk

Congratulations! Your resume has a leadership title on it.

This often comes with more prestige and is a “social success signal” on LinkedIn.  Recruiters love new titles — so you will likely get more inquiries from them.

Remember. It’s not hard to get a leadership title if you want one. It’s much more difficult retaining that title through effective leadership.

The price of staying a leader and holding that “prestige” goes up every day.

You have to perform, learn new skills, and keep growing. You can’t stay comfortable and complacent.

Leadership complacency kills. The first thing it usually destroys is your leadership role.

Titled leaders are rarely successfully demoted. It’s either up or out.

If you desire to lead and help people, be prepared to pay the price.  The leadership journey is expensive but always worth the cost.