The following – Scrap the Golden Rule – is a short book preview contributed by the Ohio State University Leadership Center.
Leadership is Half the Story: A Fresh Look at Followership, Leadership, and Collaboration
Marc Hurwitz & Samantha Hurwitz, Toronto, ON, Canada: Rotman-UTP Publishing (2015)
“Recall the Golden Rule you were taught as a kid: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you? Toss it out the window. You are NOT leading you.
Replace this thinking with the Platinum Rule: Treat others the way they like to be treated. Don’t assume or pigeonhole your team members. Ask them their work preferences: what makes them tick, be successful, be unsuccessful, be challenged, how they prefer to be recognized, what’s important to them. Ask them about their interests: what they enjoy in their job, what other activities they would like to explore, what skills they would like to develop, what growth areas are they currently working on, what do they aspire to do in the future. And re-ask them regularly.
You can’t always accommodate every team member’s needs and requests, or dreams and aspirations, but your genuine interest and attempt will go a long way (p. 138-139).”
Leadership is Half the Story is available from the OSU Leadership Center.
Learn how the Ohio State University Leadership Center is inspiring others to take a leadership role that empowers the world at the OSU Leadership Center website.
