What good is it? Often the mantra of the obsessively practical or the hopelessly cynical, a “what good is it?” response typically indicates disgust, disappointment, or disdain—maybe all three.
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Obsessively practical leaders seem to become, well, obsessed, with efficiency. Every act, every task, every intention, indeed every suggestion is qualified by its practical contribution to the efficient function of the organization.
But more prevalent are the hopelessly cynical. I worked for one such leader, the founder and director of a moderately sized leadership training organization working mostly in Asia. He expected to be disappointed and usually found something to meet his expectations. Over time, only those with a fetish for being belittled and berated stayed in the company. There was always something somewhere, done by someone, that failed to come up to standard.
I worked with the company for nearly two years, and I can attest that the real failure rate was no higher than just about anywhere else and a good deal better than many companies of that size. It was the director’s attitude that made the difference.
Now, make no mistake, I’m no raging and rabid fan of positive thinking; it seems to lead to a delusional approach to life and its challenges.
But I am a fan, proponent, and practitioner of the power of a positive attitude. The late Michael Vance, creative thinking consultant to Walt Disney and a good many others, often observed that positive thinking tends to avoid or mislabel problems to the point of failing to deal intelligently and creatively with them. He also observed that with a positive attitude, problems can be identified, intelligently and honestly appraised, and then and only then be responded to with creative solutions.
The “what good is it?” response can have a more fruitful use. How do I know?
Because, with few exceptions, subordinates and associates want to please. My former boss, Mr. Cynic, didn’t believe that. He believed that everyone was out to disabuse him of his generosity, neglect their responsibilities, and screw up regularly, and that they did so with no remorse. He was categorically incorrect. His experience hasn’t been my experience.
People make mistakes. We live in an imperfect world, and 100-percent efficiency is a myth. But nearly everyone wants to do well and meet the expectations of their jobs. We’re hard-wired to do so. What good is it? Effort should be acknowledged for what it is—a genuine attempt to do the job. If and when it falls short, accept the reality and respond accordingly. That’s what superlative leaders do. They don’t cynically respond with disdain in their voice, “What good is it?”
In all labor there is benefit. We don’t learn by learning only; we learn by doing. Trying, falling short, learning why, and trying again are all part of the development process. We can’t order a fully functional subordinate or associate from Amazon. He won’t arrive on the floor ready for work. Development is what you do because you’re a leader. No prudent leader would ever trample on the good deeds and intentions of others deliberately. Developing capable people and successful companies is always a collaborative effort.
In every effort, even the ones that aren’t quite up to par, there is good. They yield something beneficial. A teachable moment or a deeper understanding aren’t without value, such as Thomas Edison’s failed attempts at developing the electric light.
What good is it? Well, it turns out there’s a lot of good. The next time you have a couple of days off work, take another look at how you respond to the efforts of others.
There’s a tragic lesson in the life work of Mr. Cynic. He spent his entire career disappointed, always feeling like he’d been cheated out of more success by the failures of others. He spent his days, indeed his life, wandering around the workplace looking for people doing something wrong, and finding whatever he could to validate his cynicism and negativity. You know what? He found plenty of it. But he ended his career bitter, angry, cynical, and disappointed that he had been robbed. He really did look back on his life asking, “What good is it?” distressed that it wasn’t better.
Yet other leaders in exactly the same situation have an entirely different experience. Do they find disappointment? Yep. Do they find error and failure? Certainly. But they find good in it. Lots and lots of good in it.
It’s right there in front of you, too.
If you’ve got a few minutes, take a look at the video below. It’s a compilation of clips from Michael Vance.
First published June 12, 2015, on The Practical Leader blog.
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