Inflate Gate and Leadership

Inflate Gate and Leadership

You may be asking yourself what does Inflate Gate have to do with leadership.  I say it has everything to do with leadership.

Leadership is all about accountability.  Leaders choose accountability.  They do not simply accept it or take the responsibility, they want it because they know how important it is.

The current situation

By now, everyone knows about Inflate Gate; the fact the New England Patriots were playing with game balls inflated below the standard set by the NFL.  That the footballs were checked by officials and found to be up to standard prior to the game and at a point later in the game it was determined the game balls the Patriots were using were underinflated. 

What followed was a firestorm of reaction from all sectors.  Everyone (as usual) wanted to know what people knew, when they knew it and who was the most likely guilty party.

This set the stage for a moment of brilliant leadership action.  However, for the many that have seen or read Coach  Bill Bellicheck's public statements know he missed that opportunity.  The fact is, he raised more questions about himself, his team and especially his quarterback.  Leaders do not do this.  Leaders do not cast a shadow on the integrity of their organizations.

Being accountable does not mean confessing to guilt or claiming responsibility for an act.  It is choosing accountability over all else when a crisis hits.  I will not recount the whole of Mr. Bellicheck's responses, but to simply say he did not come even close to stepping up as a leader during this crisis. Think about all the articles and TV hosts that you and others have seen that have played a part in casting a shadow over the Patriots and the all time sporting event the Super Bowl.  None of this had to happen even though the facts of the deflated footballs remain.

Mr. Bellichek is not alone.  Leaders for whatever reason step over huge opportunities to be accountable and incur the consequences that come with it.  There was a moment and it was missed.

How could Mr. Bellicheck have done that you may ask?

Simply by taking accountability. What he did versus taking accountability stand in stark contrast.  Here is an example of what Mr. Bellicheck could have said.  You will quickly notice the difference.

First, I want to apologize to all the fans, the audience and most of all to my players. I have failed you.  I'm accountable for what has happened and will do my utmost to find out what happened, why and when.  That is my promise.  How did I fail?  I failed in allowing the desire to win to destroy the integrity of the game and especially my team that has worked so hard this year to reach the Super Bowl.  I have in some way behaved in such a manner that it has allowed one or more people to think that winning at all costs is acceptable.  This is never acceptable.  Somehow, that must have happened.  I would like to think it did not.  However, as the leader of this team on and off the field and until I discover reasons why not, I am and will remain accountable to the public, the owners and to the NFL.  I regret this happened and as I said before will not stop until I can stand before you with the final analysis of the situation.

This, is leadership.  This is what real leaders do.  They know that doing otherwise destroys confidence in their own integrity and those around them.  It is like a cancer that begins to rot and organization from the inside out.  That, while it destroys the brand that a company has spent years creating.  It only takes one crisis and one failure of leadership to destroy.  Leaders know that integrity is earned over time and one failure to step up to accountability can destroy what was worked for so hard.

Actions for You?

Choose accountability as a leader.  Pay attention to your behaviors and the messages it may be sending to the organization and people around you and take accountability for that.  Look for opportunities to step up and claim your leadership accountability when things go wrong.  People will respect your for that. That and you might even gain a new respect for yourself!