by Bonni Carson DiMatteo, CMC © 2004

It comes as no surprise that the egregious abuse in Iraq has been attributed to a "Lapse in Leadership," according to the New York Times (May 8, 2004).

How can leaders be held accountable for something that happened several levels below them? The answer is indisputably simple: culture.

In Iraq the culture had several telltale vulnerabilities:

1. Control and command leadership that eschews challenge and demands acquiescence.
2. Lack of commitment to resources for the reports, resulting in people being overworked, under- resourced, and neglected, and feeling a sense of abandonment. "You guys are the forgotten," noted Lt. Col. Phillabaum.
3. Workers lacked the appropriate management skill set to handle the demands of the prisoners. These were not just the wrong people on the bus; the bus had no direction and it had flat tires in a traffic jam.
4. Leadership did not set standards of performance. "Let it slide" was the mantra.
5. When leadership competency was questioned, it was disregarded and the leaders were reassigned.
6. Roles and responsibilities were blurred between CIA and officers, often confusing and confounding the lines of authority.
7. Don't ask, don't tell culture. Though the rumor mill germinated for almost 12 months about these abuses, it was not addressed, questioned, or investigated.

The stage was set for Lord of the Flies. From Tyco to WorldCom to the U.S. Army, the lapse in leadership can have the same chilling effect. The culture that leaders set can create success or destruction, it can inspire commitment or it can trigger acting out.

Often the erosion of leadership begins slowly and surreptitiously, hardly raising a reaction until it becomes larger than life.

Sometimes the lapse in leadership can be seen when a valued employee leaves, or when staff begin to fall into staff malaise.

Sometimes it shows up in the deterioration of quality products or services.

Sometimes it shows up in staff meetings where no one speaks unless it is to agree with the CEO.

Sometimes it shows up as water-cooler chatter about management incompetence.

And often it shows up in miscommunication between departments in which there is confusion about roles and responsibilities.

As leaders we have to watch and listen for signs of disease, as well as prevent it. Once the culture erodes into one of neglect, low standards, obsequiousness, and incompetency, it is difficult to turn around. As leaders we have to ask ourselves:

1. When was the last time someone challenged my perceptions, directions?
2. When was the last time I doubted someone's competence, but rewarded them anyway?
3. What are my staff's chief complaints about resources or compromise in quality?
4. Do I commit resources to training to upgrade skill sets in order to take on new or different responsibilities, or do I assume they will just adjust?
5. How many times have I "let it slide" when I knew something had to be addressed?
6. If something were amiss in my company, how would I most likely find out?
7. What message do I want to send about the culture of leadership, quality, and discipline?

Lapses of leadership are found in every company. It takes both diligence to prevent it and the tenacity to respond to it to make the difference.

"Executives are focusing on how to build a flexible and responsive organization to more quickly detect and respond to market opportunities," according to Forbes editor John Dobosz and GartnerG2 Research Director Neil McDonald (April 2004). What are you doing to build your leadership competencies?

• Are you looking for a cost effective solution to developing management and leadership competencies?
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• Do you know that to replace a key employee is estimated to be 1% to 2.5% of company revenue or between $10K and $100K per employee depending on level? (source: ASTD)
• Do you know that the TRS (Total Return to Shareholders) on training that increases development, communication, and morale is up to 200%? (source: SHRIM)
• Do you know that research indicates that there is an average of 5.7 ROI for coaching key employees? (source: Manchaster Group)
• Do you want to retain top talent and groom them for the next level?

Then you want the Next Level Leadership Program. This cutting edge program combines:

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Eliane has twenty years of experience in the high technology industry and five years in banking. She joins our staff as a consultant skilled in Coaching, Mediation, and Process Improvement with particular expertise in the technology and engineering sector helping professionals and executives refine their communication, leadership, and management skills.