Cross posted from Seth Godin’s Blog:
“I’ve got your back”
These are the words that entrepreneurs, painters, artists, statesmen, customer service pioneers and writers need to hear.
Not true. They don’t need to hear them, they need to feel them.
No artist needs a fair weather friend, an employee or customer or partner who waits to do the calculus before deciding if they’re going to be there for them.
No, if you want her to go all in, if you want her to take the risk and brave the fear, then it sure helps if you’re there too, no matter what. There’s a cost to that, a pain and risk that comes from that sort of trust. After all, it might not work. Failure (or worse! embarrassment) might ensue. That’s precisely why it’s worth so much. Because it’s difficult and scarce.
Later, when it’s all good and it’s all working, your offer of support means very little. The artist never forgets the few who came through when it really mattered.
Who’s got your back? More important, whose back do you have?
Lots of discussion at Sal’s home about “the leadership“…and a significant supposition that conventional wisdom among the rank and file is to not trust anyone over 30 senior to themselves.
Since most of us are senior to someone else, does that corrolary mean that your subordinates don’t trust you?
Could it be that they don’t feel that you have their back?
If so, why?
Do you take the time to explain the logic and thought behind an unpopular decision? Any decision?
Or do you default to “Nike Leadership“? Nike Leadership is directly incompatible with forceful backup. Which one do you think is more present in the Navy?
Who has your back? Who’s back do you have?
