Years ago after I ended my time working on political campaigns, I eventually branched off and did some of my own political consulting for a while. I realized somewhat quickly that it wasn’t something that brought me joy, but I was good at it and was able to work exclusively with individuals I felt were deserving of the help.
In one such instance, one of my staff came to me feeling a bit down with something that was going on. He didn’t feel completely up to the task of a job I’d given him. He was thinking aloud if he was the best person for it and expressed a bit of dismay that he would let me down if we came up short in our effort. In short, he was a good guy and didn’t want to disappoint me.
Before I told him what I really thought about his work, I relayed the thoughts I would often have when working on one of the recent campaigns. I shared what I felt when dealing with some of my supervisors or senior staff. Many interactions would make me think of the Winston Tunnel from the book “Atlas Shrugged.”
(It’s actually called the Taggart Tunnel, named after a character in the book, but it takes place in Winston, Colorado, and I’ve always called it by that name).
If you haven’t read the book or aren’t familiar with this portion of it. The short version is that a train needs to go across country on a set schedule but due to infrastructure problems with tracks and bridges, the only way it can make it on schedule is to go through a tunnel. Simple enough.
But the regular engine breaks and it can’t make it. There’s a delay. What to do?
Everyone complains, yells and orders their underlings to make the train arrive on time, “no matter what.” There are important people on board and they can’t be bothered waiting.
The President of the company tells his VP to make it happen, no questions asked. The VP tells the director, the director tells the engineers and so on and so forth. Each time the senior level staff disappears and stops returning communication so as to alleviate his responsibility and put blame squarely on his staff. He gave the order, he assumed his staff was competent, surely he can’t be the one to blame if things go wrong. Everyone tries to cover their tracks so if something does go wrong, it’s not his responsibility.
But why? What’s there to be worried about?
Because due to massive equipment shortages, there are no good engines to be found. There’s only one that can be used and it’s got dire consequences associated with it.
Finally that entine is found, but it’s a coal burning engine.
Its clear to everyone with any sense that if it’s used it will be too dangerous to use to go through a tunnel. The tunnel is too long, the smoke will be too thick and everyone on the train will most likely die due to fumes or sparks igniting a fire.
Knowing this engine should not be used, one of the supervisors tells his staff to, “Find an engine, no questions asked.”
He knows full well the only engine is the coal burning one. However if HE tells HIS BOSS he can’t find one, HE’LL be the one to be fired. He has another option.
He can order his staff to find an engine, then stop returning communication and then if something happens he can respond with ignorance, “surely I did not mean a COAL burning engine. What were you thinking?!”
And he does exactly that.
Everyone passes things down to someone else, and no one takes responsibility. Some staff end up quitting on the spot because they see what is going on. But all the ones without any sense, or without any decency, go along.
Finally the train goes through the tunnel with the coal burning engine, and does exactly what everyone knew it would, it explodes and everyone on board dies.
As I shared this story from the book with my employee, I told him I replayed this image in my head many times during one of the political campaigns I worked on. It seemed like so often, anytime a task was due, a project was needed or a goal was set I’d face a mix of people giving me mixed answers, double speak or confusing directions. Many times I didn’t even get responses. Days or weeks would go by without an answer to my email or a return of my voicemail.
I saw it for what it was, the ability to shun responsibility. If I did nothing, they could come back and say, “Well Steve what have you been doing for two weeks, why didn’t you call me?” And if I did something that turned out poorly they could say, “Well gosh Steve surely I didn’t want you to do THAT, why didn’t you call me?!”
That’s not how leaders act.
I brought up this story as I talked with my employee because of how important it was for me to be pro-active in letting him know where things stood. I finished by telling him, (I still have the email. Crazy, all these years later)…
“If we come up short in our goal it’s not on your head, it is on mine. A true leader does not pawn off responsibility onto his staff so as to avoid being held accountable. Rather a true leader gives credit to his contemporaries and staff when a success takes place and takes responsibility when a failure occurs. Such is the burden that comes with being the boss, and being in charge.”
While it is important to bring staff along and give them more responsibility, finishing and succeeding at tasks is far more important. If I did not believe you were the right person I would not have hired you. If I did not believe you were capable of overseeing this project I would not give it to you.”
As the leader of a business, a family, a populace, or anything in between, it’s vital to take responsibility when things don’t go as they should or when tough decisions need to be made. It’s about as low as it can get when those in positions of authority shun their obligations or try to cover their tracks or place blame on others who don’t deserve it.
If you’re a leader be better than that.
