Experience and character count

Experience and character count, particularly at the top of any organization.  Whether it be the CEO, Executive Director, or President, every organization (political, government, business, etc.) with a leadership position warrants having a leader who possesses both experience and character.

Recently, the CEO of an organization in which I was formerly employed made another in a long list of abysmal decisions.  (The lengthy list is why I chose to depart.)  In this most recent incident, a senior staff member was discharged, under what might be called questionable circumstances.  But it is not the decision to discharge an employee about which I write, because in "at will" states, an organization can release anyone at any time.  I support this as a necessary, if unpleasant, aspect of doing business.

In this case, immediately after, if not coincident with, discharging the senior staff member, the CEO posted a statement on the organization's website.  The statement implied the senior staff member had done something significantly inappropriate, if not illegal.  This is not the first time the CEO had made public pronouncements about employees, ranging from castigation to character assassination.  I wonder what possesses such an individual to do something of this nature?

The answer is quite simple.  At the time of hiring, the CEO lacked the requisite experience necessary for managing and leading a large, diverse organization.  This individual had no history of any significant leadership positions, let alone running large and dynamic organizations.  Nor did the CEO have any experience in the specific industry.  

Experience does matter. It matters a great deal.

For comparison, in the military, an unseasoned, inexperienced Second Lieutenant is not given command of a thousands strong Division.  Second Lieutenants need to be developed, in both their profession and leadership.  As junior officers, they will make mistakes.  Most of these mistakes, however, can be tamped or mitigated by the more experienced officers above them.  Over time, the young officer gains experience, not only in his military specialty, but equally critically in leadership.  How to educate, motivate, inspire, and lead those assigned under him.

The young officer's errors do not have adverse impact organization wide.  He learns from his mistakes and grows to assume positions of greater authority and responsibility.  Initially, however, many Second Lieutenants focus on the authority they've been granted, not the responsibility they need to shoulder.  Consequently, some Second Lieutenants become dictatorial, assuming that leadership means simply ordering folks to do one thing or another.

Those young officers with promise learn, as the seasoned enlisted leaders help them understand that character is an essential leadership trait.  For example, credit is always given to the subordinates, while criticism is shouldered and accepted by the officer.

Unfortunately, the CEO to whom I refer has never passed beyond the level of acting like a young, immature, inexperienced officer.  Character hasn't been displayed.  The lack of experience results in very poor to unsatisfactory decisions.

Consequently, the combination of lack of experience and character deficiency are adversely impacting the entire organization.  Though I departed more than a year ago, I still receive contact from former and current employees, complaining about the CEO and his abysmal actions.

In the specific case cited above, no website statement was necessary.  It read as if the CEO was attempting to publicly justify his actions, though it was done poorly.  A leader with character can deal with the termination of employment with dignity and appropriate professionalism.

However, if one has neither experience or character, this isn't likely to occur.