Take Charge in a Storm, but Don't Create a Storm Just So You Can Take Charge

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ou’ve heard of drama queens—and whatever their male counterparts are called. They’re not happy unless a big, emotional uproar is going on.  If the scene they’re in seems too calm, they deliberately foment a crisis. Like Pigpen in the Charlie Brown comic series, a cloud of dirt and debris follows them wherever they go. Moreover, they always turn out to be either the victim or the victor.  Whatever the situation, they find a way to benefit from the problem. 

Some leaders bill themselves as change agents.  They’re known for creating chaos, shooting sacred cows, and doing all the things forbidden by previous administrations.  Any program that has been around too long gets canned.  They slate any method or process that smacks of yesteryear as old fashioned and it’s off to the dumpster.  They show the door to personnel who are entrenched in outdated strategies, or else they force them into rigorous retraining—which often becomes the hallway to the exit.  All these changes may be necessary in time, but whirlwind leadership fast tracks their implementation to the detriment of the organization.  

If you are tasked with rescuing floundering company, association, or church, you may not have the luxury of slow walking it back to health.  On the other hand, if your purpose is to make a statement, impose your will, or change for change’s sake, you’re asking for trouble.  That’s not leadership.  That’s despotism.