Beware of the Leadership Sand Traps

By John Gronski, Major General US Army (retired)

I have several friends who are business leaders, and most of them enjoy playing golf. Although I’m not an avid golfer myself, I often join them on the course. One thing I’ve noticed is that, as much as they love aiming for a birdie, they’re also keenly aware of the sand traps. This provides a great metaphor for the business environment many executives navigate. Business leaders strive for success, but to achieve that success, they must also be aware of the “sand traps” that can hinder their progress. In particular, there are three critical traps every business leader must avoid.

The Three Traps

Most business executives understand the behaviors expected of them as leaders. Savvy business leaders know they must have a clear vision and drive change. These are two key behaviors that help guide organizations toward success. However, there are pitfalls that leaders must avoid to ensure they can lead effectively. These three traps are:

1. Failure to communicate effectively.
2. Failure to enforce standards and hold people accountable.
3. Failure to incorporate organizational values into business decisions.

Let’s explore each of these failures and discuss how leaders can avoid them.

Reiterative Communication

Leaders must engage in reiterative communication. Research once suggested that people need to hear something seven times before they truly understand it. More recent studies have increased this number to 27 repetitions before the message is internalized. This is why we see the same commercials on television repeatedly.

C-suite leaders and other experienced executives must recognize that they often have more years of experience than many others in their organization. Many employees lack the breadth and depth of understanding that leaders bring to the table, so it’s essential for leaders to adjust their communication accordingly.

It’s easy to assume that everyone in the organization shares the same level of understanding, or that one mention of something will be enough. But that’s a trap many leaders fall into. When they think they’ve communicated effectively and don’t follow up, they’re often left wondering why things still aren’t getting done.

I’ve found that about 90% of organizational issues can be traced back to communication problems. Leaders must use what I call “reiterative communication,” meaning they should repeat the same message in various forms, through different mediums, and using diverse techniques. A consistent message should be delivered through meetings, emails, one-on-one conversations, company newsletters, and even on the organization’s website.

Key Takeaways:

• Leaders must recognize that they have more experience and a better understanding of many issues than others in the organization. Therefore, they must communicate at a level others can understand, not just at their own level.
• Leaders must consistently communicate the same message and repeat it frequently. When a leader feels they’ve communicated enough, they should repeat the message at least ten times more.

Leaders Must Enforce Standards

Leaders must set standards and rules, which is the easy part. The challenge lies in enforcing these standards once they are established. Failing to enforce standards can lead to a breakdown in trust and credibility within the organization.

When leaders fail to hold people accountable for not meeting standards, they lose credibility—not only with the individual involved but also with other employees who observe the situation. This erodes trust, and in turn, employees may feel that rules are arbitrary or ineffectively enforced.

Failure to enforce standards often results in two things: low performers remain with the organization, while high performers seek opportunities elsewhere. Subpar employees are comfortable with a lack of accountability, while top talent won’t stay in an organization that tolerates mediocrity.

Note: There is a caveat to enforcing standards. Leaders should avoid creating rules for the sake of having rules. Rules must be purposeful and align with the organization’s goals. Superfluous rules only hinder creativity and morale, and rules that are impossible to enforce can damage trust.

Key Takeaways:

• Failing to enforce standards damages trust with employees, especially when accountability is not maintained.
• When leaders fail to hold employees accountable, low performers stay, and high performers leave.

Factor Organizational Values into Business Decisions

Organizational values are inspiring when written, but they become powerful only when lived. Values must be operationalized—meaning that the behaviors of the organization’s members should align with these values. Values help provide a direction and set boundaries within which employees should operate.

Leaders must model these values by leading through example. One of the best ways to ensure an organization stays aligned with its values is to incorporate these values into business decisions. Whether it’s pricing, customer service, or employee benefits, every decision should reflect the company’s core values.

Organizations that stray from their values often face significant issues, such as customer dissatisfaction, shareholder unrest, negative press, and even criminal prosecution. High-profile cases like Enron, WorldCom, and Theranos illustrate what happens when companies deviate from their values. Theranos, for example, claimed values centered around revolutionary healthcare and patient well-being, but their actions—such as making false claims about their blood-testing technology—directly contradicted those values, putting patients at risk.

Key Takeaways:

• Values are more than words; they should be actively lived by the organization.
• Customers, employees, and the public trust companies that align their actions with their stated values.
• Business decisions must reflect the company’s core values, from hiring to product development to customer service.

About John Gronski

Major General John L. Gronski (U.S. Army Retired) is the founder and CEO of Leader Grove LLC, a leadership consulting firm. John is the author of three books, “Iron-Sharpened Leadership,” “Leadership Sharpeners”, and “The Ride of Our Lives” and is an international and Fortune 500 speaker. Learn more about John at https://johngronski.com/