Many of us have heard of the golden rule, but can it apply to leadership? Can this rule apply to business or organizational relationships? Yes, I believe it can and should be in our understanding of leadership.
The golden rule is simply this: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them.
So often we are prone to think of our need personally or the need of our organization. We consider our lack and expect that others are there to meet that lack. For example, an aspiring young leader feels he has never been mentored or helped by others who are seasoned in leadership. So he waits for and expects that this need must be met before he can help other aspiring leaders. Of course, that need is genuine and it is, I believe, a need that is in all of us who are growing and pursuing excellence. Yet, as much as I believe in the mentoring aspect of leadership our focus on this lack can hinder our ability to lead others.
Lack is an inspiration to provide true leadership to others by giving to them what we need. Of course, we should look for those who can mentor us and we should aggressively seek it from those whom we respect and admire. Yet, to wait until our mentor need is satisfied before we invest into the lives others is to miss the true essence of leadership. We say, “But I have needs. How can I give what I don’t have?” Well, my answer is simple, I know. We give what we do have to others. That model of leadership inspires young leaders, but it also inspires mature and seasoned leaders. Those leaders will see us, they will find us, they will invest in us. Why? Because leaders are looking for people they can invest in.
Now let me broaden this concept of doing for others what you want them to do for you. Consider the element of respect. You want respect, but so do the people you lead. If you give respect you get respect. Sound simple? Maybe, but you have to practice it for a little while before you see the return. You want loyalty? Then give loyalty to others. Be loyal to those who have partnered with you or have given you guidance and support personally. Then you will get loyalty from those you lead and your colleagues. The golden rule really works in every area of your leadership. You want people to encourage you? Then set your mind on being an encourager. There is no aspect of your life or career that this does not apply to.
Here is a quote from Fred Reichheld of Bain Fellow, and Author/Speaker on Loyalty,
The Golden Rule—treat others as you would want to be treated—is a pillar of most of the world’s great religions. It lies at the heart of secular ethics. It is an expression of the basic human instinct to bond with others, say business ethicists Paul Lawrence and Nitin Nohria.
The Bonding of relationships is both a need and a powerful element of leadership skill. To bond with our employees and peers requires our senses to be awakened to the needs of others. It means we must find the most effective ways to promote bonding among all those whom we lead. Bonding occurs when there is an atmosphere of the golden rule in practice. We create that atmosphere by modeling doing things for others that we want for ourselves. The rule is not practiced for our own gratification as much as to promote, encourage, grow and improve those around us. The by-product of meeting the need of others is the personal return that comes a little while later. We get it back only as we invest in others.
Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. That is the Golden rule of leadership.