The Looking Glass vs. The Mirror

Leaders serve as guides for their people, and they use their influence to get results. Whether things go wrong or right in business, a leader has two options: they can either turn to the mirror or to the looking glass. More commonly, leaders will turn to the mirror and praise themselves when things go right, and they look through the looking glass and blame their people the moment they don’t get the results they wanted. However, a great leader will do the opposite. They look in the mirror when things are going poorly, and they consider their role in getting to that point. Then, they take the kinds of actions that will help the organization move forward. When things are going well, they turn to the looking glass, and they show appreciation to their people for all of their efforts and hard work.

A common misconception in business is that when you take on a leadership role, people begin to work for you. Although leaders direct their team in the direction they want to go, the reality is that leaders work for those that follow them. That may sound contradictory, but becoming a leader is not for your own benefit; it’s for the benefit of those that report to you. An effective leader accomplishes things with and through others, and they catch their people doing things right. By recognizing the team’s role in achieving success, people tend to stay more motivated to follow the mission and vision of the organization.

There’s a saying that I’ve heard Jody use several times, and it’s that, “Credit can be given endlessly, but it can only be taken once.” It’s important as a leader to give credit where it’s due and not claim success for just yourself. Collective effort requires collective recognition and praise. When your team does not accomplish what they set out to do, you need to ask yourself, “At what point could I have done something differently in order to help them get the results we wanted?” You provide valuable feedback, advice, and support for your team as a leader.

We have all been in a leadership role at some point in our lives. I want you to reflect back on your experience as a leader and think about how you viewed the accomplishments or shortcomings of the team you led. Did you look in the mirror when things were going well, or did you give your team the recognition they deserved? With that in mind, how do you think you’ll view the work output of your team moving forward? The best reflection of a leader is not of themselves but of what has been accomplished through the team they lead.

-Meghan Slaughter