Have you ever worked for someone who you felt did not have your back? You didn’t trust them to not throw you under the bus when push came to shove? It is not a feeling that breeds loyalty. The Colonel taught me that “One of the most important sentiments any leader can express to someone in their charge is: ‘I’ve got your back.’”
At the risk of dating myself (although this was before even my time), I love the moment in the classic movie Spartacus when Kirk Douglas (as Spartacus) is about to give himself up to the Roman soldiers in order to save the lives of the others. Before he can do so, one of his followers beats him to it, standing up and shouting, “I am Spartacus!” Then another man stands and also shouts, “I am Spartacus!” And then a third and fourth until the whole hillside of men are standing shouting that they are Spartacus. Spartacus was prepared to give himself up for them – to be the first line of defense for his followers. Knowing that he would do that, they all stood—side by side—to protect him and each other.
As leaders, it is our responsibility to be the first line of defense for our team. That means we never throw our team members under the bus. When someone higher on the organizational chain wants blood, we stand in front of our team as a protective wall and take the heat ourselves. We don’t question a team member’s decisions in public. When we have given them the authority to make decisions, we support those decisions even if we don’t agree with them. And unless they are illegal, immoral or unethical, we allow them to stand by their decisions without asking them to change them. If those decisions lead to bad results, we support them in picking up the pieces and learning from their mistakes.
This is how we build and mentor new leaders – by providing a safe space for them to make decisions (good and bad), gaining leadership sense, and knowing that we’ve always got their back.
Read Lauren’s Whitepaper on The Nine Essentials of Significant Leadership.