When a leader loses it - Kevin Rudd shows how not to lead

Our political leaders are normally calm and (try to be) stately, and we expect our business and personal leaders to be the same.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd "lost it" during a TV interview on the current affairs show The 7:30 Report.  It showed again that leaders have to be careful with their emotions. Sure leaders have to be themselves, but you being yourself does not mean losing control.

A short transcript of the exchange follows, but an extract of the video can be found [here].

"(Climate Change Minister) Penny Wong and I sat up for three days and three nights with 20 leaders from around the world (in Copenhagen) to try and frame a global agreement," he said.
   
"It might be easy for you to sit in 7.30 Report land and say that was easy to do. Let me tell you mate, it wasn't.
 
"We are fundamentally committed to climate change.

It might not sound like much but the tone was aggressive and defensive.

We can learn a lot from this exchange in both Customer Service and Leadership positions:

1. All your actions are exaggerated
2. All your emotions are amplified
3. Be yourself, but keep control
4. Don't try to 'win' the argument.  You may be able to pull rank over employees, but not customers
5. Don't rationalise (eg we sat up for 20 hours working on the problem) because no-one cares

Kevin Rudd is lucky, he can look over the video and learn, but most people don't have that luxury.  One solution: use your phone to record an interaction you have with an employee under stress (with their permission), then listen to yourself.  it's uncomfortable, but there is nothing like learning from yourself.

Posted via email from Service with Purpose