Leaders develop character and integrity over time. As a team member, you choose who you follow, and often young and ambitious new team members are highly influenced by their first bosses.
Peter Drucker is clear that forceful, corrupt bosses in a position of power destroy organizations. They are cloaked in disguises, often effective in their roles, so they quickly ascend to more powerful functions. How they operate is unseen, and the way they overstep or sidestep for their gain goes unnoticed. In doing so, they teach others how to break the rules and gain influence and a following. The inability to identify and deal swiftly with this type of boss is a weakness in the organization.
Most of us have – or will – work for this type of boss at one point or another. And while it is somewhat easy to identify them, it is challenging to deal with them.
It starts with the hiring process. A person’s character is developed from the inside out, so conducting meaningful reference checks that dig deeper than validating technical skills, knowledge, and strengths is important. Looking for chinks in a person’s attitude is critical.
Make sure you train your human resources professionals on how to notice these characteristics so they can avoid hiring people with integrity flaws.
By defining and hiring the “right people for your teams,” you can create high value for your organization.