The Hamilton Spectator

A kick in the pants presents a golden opportunit­y

- JAY ROBB @jayrobb serves as director of communicat­ions for Mohawk College and lives in Hamilton.

You did a dumb thing.

Yes, you stayed within the letter of the law. But you will be found guilty in the court of public opinion and possibly crucified.

Your judgment, character and integrity will be questioned.

You will test the loyalty and faith of the people you lead.

This will be the worst of times. Yet it could also prove to be the best time to become a better leader if you respond in the right way.

“A kick in the tuckus can be the moment where everything changes for you as a leader,” says Bill Treasurer, chief encouragem­ent officer at Giant Leap Consulting and author of “A Leadership Kick in the Ass.”

“These stark and startling moments can rattle your confidence to the core. But these moments can also be the starting point where you assess your strengths, clarify your values and develop an authentic and true leadership voice and style.”

According to Treasurer, embarrassi­ng butt kicks can lead to transforma­tive humiliatio­n and positive change.

“You’ll stop overcompen­sating for your weaknesses by being falsely confident and overdomina­nt, and instead, will gain strength in the humble recognitio­n that leading and influencin­g others is a privilege to be honoured and treasured. Your kick will ultimately teach you that the only way to bring out the best in those you’re leading is to lead with the best of yourself.”

It takes real courage to see yourself as you really are, says Treasurer. Admitting that you’re the source of your problems and ineffectiv­eness is hard and humbling. Yet it’s the only way you’ll face reality and change for the better.

Getting your butt kicked injects a healthy dose of humility.

“Strengths are good things. Until they aren’t,” says Treasurer.

Your skills at public speaking can lead you to hog attention and seek the limelight. Your off-the-chart critical thinking skills can make you dismissive of others. Your strength of confidence can turn into a weakness of arrogance.

A lack of confidence is also a weakness. Butt kicks loom for leaders who are preoccupie­d with the potential for failure and hyperfocus on risk mitigation. They don’t trust, or fight, for their ideas. Timid and hesitant leaders are unoriginal, uninspirin­g, ineffectiv­e and eventually unemployed.

“Every leader is made up of sunshine and shadows. Paying attention only to the shiny parts of your leadership causes your shadow to grow, practicall­y ensuring a kick in the salt shaker.”

So how do you make the most out of your kick in the butt? How do you achieve the confident humility that’s the hallmark of great leaders? Treasurer recommends that you:

Focus on the long game. “A kick is just a momentary speed bump on your longer leadership career.” Focus on where you want your career to end up, not on the detour you’re taking.

Learn from your feelings. Remember that discomfort equals growth. “You don’t grow in a zone of comfort. You grow, progress and evolve in a zone of discomfort.”

Broaden your view of courage to include being vulnerable, open and receptive to change.

Don’t be oblivious to yourself. “How much might it be costing you to remain loyal to your ignorance?”

Be your own project. “Lots of people lead projects better than they lead themselves. Treat your butt kick recovery like a project with outcomes, timelines and milestones.

Stay present. Fully immerse yourself in the experience.

“A humiliatin­g kick can be the entry point for a richer, fuller and more complete understand­ing of yourself, as a leader and as a human being. You’ll be better able to use your strengths — and actively mitigate the shadows your strengths sometimes cause — so they better serve you and others.”

It’s a not question of whether you’ll get your butt kicked as a leader. It’s only a matter of when and how hard.

The real question is whether you’ll use this teachable moment to reset and right-size your confidence and humility.

 ??  ?? A Leadership Kick in the Ass: How to Learn From Rough Landings, Blunders and Missteps By Bill Treasurer Berrett-Koehler Publishers $25.50
A Leadership Kick in the Ass: How to Learn From Rough Landings, Blunders and Missteps By Bill Treasurer Berrett-Koehler Publishers $25.50
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