Transcript
A (0:00)
Foreign My name is David Henson and I serve as campus chief information Officer for Bolden Networks for Higher Education. Welcome to Control Alt Lead One of my favorite leaders is Brene Brown, a research professor of social work at the University of Houston and the author of Dare to Lead. She's perhaps best known for her work on shame, vulnerability, empathy, and leadership, and I was so very fortunate to attend her fireside chat at the annual Educause conference. Dr. Brown states that a leader is anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes and has the courage to develop that potential. Such leadership is about stepping up, putting yourself out there, and and leaning into courage. She questions whether we have mythologized vulnerability as a sign of weakness or of oversharing. Yet we also shouldn't be vulnerable simply for the sake of vulnerability, but rather when things get hard or uncomfortable, don't tap out of those difficult conversations, but rather stay in them. Lean into them even when they are uncomfortable and awkward and hard. Being clear is kind. Being unclear is unkind. If there's a dictum that I do try to live by personally and professionally, it is that one particular nugget of wisdom from Dr. Brown's writings. People avoid clear communication because they think it's kinder to soften the blow when in truth, being unclear can be unfair, unkind, and even manipulative. For example, managers may struggle to deliver consistent messaging or provide unclear expectations rather than just having that tough, uncomfortable conversation that is most needed. Be clear to be kind. Not all courageous conversations occur with just your colleagues or your subordinates. Some of the toughest, most uncomfortable, and even most vulnerable conversations occur when delivering hard news to our bosses or to our campus leadership, or to our trustees and donors. Nothing demonstrates courage like a sit down where your job or even your career are potentially on the line. For such occasions, my guiding principle is always do the right thing, regardless of the consequences for that time when you must fire a colleague with whom you are friends and friends not only with them, but also their spouses, knowing that it will alter those important relationships forever. For when you must inform the chairperson of your school's board of trustees of malfeasance on the part of a leader to whom you directly report. Or for when you must tell a donor that they are acting in bad faith for improperly seeking favor on contracts or attempting to influence internal hiring decisions. For when you must comfort the family of a student or an employee who passes away suddenly and tragically during the semester, or for when you must tell a high performing member of your team that while their work is great, their lack of personal hygiene is a distraction to their teammates and our clients. I've had the distinct pleasure of growing through each one of these preceding leadership scenarios over the past several years, and while I didn't exactly cover myself in glory in each and every case, I can honestly say that I didn't shy away from leading into the hard call, even when the cost of me was real and very personal. You should know, gentle listener, that you don't need to seek out those extraordinary opportunities to lead bravely, for they will seek you out. And trust me, you will find no dearth of opportunity to be vulnerable, to put yourself at risk, all in the service of being clear, to be kind. There is absolutely no shortage of interactions where the risk, if not the guarantee of losing prestige, standing, or reputation is a likely outcome of having those tough, uncomfortable conversations. The key is to recognize them as such and not give in to the finite at the expense of the infinite. It is unfair and manipulative to our friends, our families, our colleagues and our bosses to avoid hard truths because it robs them of their agency in engaging in constructive conflict resolution. If only we deal openly, honestly, and transparently with one another. Avoiding conflict doesn't forestall anything other than the potential for growth and for healthy outcomes for everyone involved, for that is not a kindness, and it is certainly not brave. Do the right thing, regardless of the consequences. Lean in, be clear to be kind, for that's courageous leadership. Thanks for listening. I'll see you soon.