We Lead, We Change, but Let's Not Forget Our Purpose!

I have always been fascinated by the topic of leadership. In 2000, I transitioned from managing large groups of people in the medical device corporate world to managing even larger government employee groups. I was shocked when I faced the reality of how the government worked.

In Corporate America, there are many tools to hire and fire employees. Productivity is measured carefully, and meritocracy is somewhat the north for hiring and promoting (there are some exceptions). However, in government, I faced the reality of people who had been there for decades and for whom the word productivity was unknown. Things were done whenever they felt like it or if a politician requested a special favor. That's how they determined what had priority and what didn't.

I decided to educate myself on the topic, so I went to a bookstore, and two books caught my attention: Leadership by Rudy Giuliani and Servant Leadership by James Autry. Politics aside, these two books helped me manage governmental logistics and navigate horrific politics.

I remember a chapter where Giuliani described how he had two daily meetings with all the Chiefs on his staff. The morning meeting was to discuss the plan of work for the day and any news they needed to be aware of. The afternoon meeting aimed to discuss what had been accomplished and what needed to be done the next day.

As soon as I read that, I implemented it with my public work staff. Unfortunately, they were not computer savvy. We didn't use emails or texting then, so I had to develop a simple way of discussing work plans and productivity without mentioning big or complicated words. I bought a considerable whiteboard and drew a table with every crew chief's name on each column and the day's tasks.

Every morning, we would go individually to discuss news from the mayor, priorities, and needs they may have. Then, we would discuss challenges, accomplished tasks, complaints, and expectations every afternoon. To my surprise, THEY LOVED IT! It was funny because the team reacted the same way the book described.

The second book taught me about who you serve when you work in government and how that purpose has to be conveyed to your team. When you are a public servant, you help people, not yourself. I decided to talk about it with my team. I would tell them they needed to imagine a world without Public Works employees. Can you imagine a world with nobody to pave streets, maintain parks, or do garbage pick-up, with no fleet maintenance and no pluvial systems repair? I reassured them how valuable they were and how their work was vital for our quality of life, which was also their quality of life. Once this clicked, their motivation went through the roof. They would come to me with the best ideas any engineer could dream of. As a result, we solved many dormant challenges for years in the community.

However, leaders change. When I look at Giuliani now, I wonder what happened to him. It is the same when looking for other leaders who have become famous or are too "important" to go back to whatever made them famous in the first place.

A friend and mentor wrote a book named The Leader's Lobotomy. It's a fable describing the story of a leader promoted to a high-level position. In the process, he changed and didn't remember everything he went through as an employee-- he had no time to talk to anyone; he couldn't be accessed, and his purpose changed to accommodate the interests of those in power. 

One day, a ghost appeared to him and made him face who he had become. To his surprise, he had changed so much that it was as if he had had a lobotomy performed.

As we mature personally and professionally, we start changing and learning how the world works. Naturally, we strive for more, so we slowly begin accommodating ourselves to and playing the game. Even when we play the game, we should remember the roots of our purpose, where we came from, who helped us get there, and what we liked and didn't like.

We need to use our power to pave the road for others, listen to what they say, and be conduits to improve this world. We are having a leadership crisis. Why? Because now, everyone wants to be famous and be in the spotlight. It's not about serving anymore.

We all need to take a step back and ponder if we, too, had a lobotomy. We should remember what made this country powerful, inviting, and open to such a diverse group of people, making it the best of the best together. So, let's go back to basics and walk again—one step at a time. Let's go for it!