Dec 12, 2025 Continuing the Journey:
Developing & Enhancing a Leadership Persona – Parts 11–17
Parts 1–5 gave us the foundation. Parts 6–10 demanded that we show up with clarity, courage, and an uncompromising commitment to the mission and the people entrusted to us.
Now we move into the realm of mature, battle-tested leadership—the practices that separate those who merely occupy a position from those who leave an organization stronger, fairer, and more respected than they found it. These final seven principles are less about inspiration and more about disciplined protection: protecting your people from poor leadership, protecting the organization from preventable legal and reputational harm, protecting your own integrity, and protecting the sacred trust that comes with authority.
They require a higher degree of self-control, foresight, and moral courage than most leaders ever develop—because they force us to confront uncomfortable truths about ourselves and our organizations long before a crisis forces the issue.
Master these, and you will not only lead well—you will lead in such a way that those who come after you will say, “This place still works because someone once cared enough to do the hard, quiet, principled things that no one else wanted to do.”
Read on if you’re ready to hold yourself—and be held by others—to the highest standard of leadership maturity. The first ten parts built the leader people want to follow. These next seven help build the leader people will still respect when everything hits the fan.
11. Insist on the Types and Degrees of Leadership You Would Want for Your Loved Ones
This is an immediate, simple, and powerful way of evaluating your comfort level with organizational behavior, and a question worth asking others with respect to their values as well. If the answer is no, then take the actions necessary to remedy the situation. Never forget that every employee is the most important person in the world to someone else! That makes all of your people very special and deserving of the best leadership possible.
12. Write with Eventual Discovery in Mind
Write and speak as if what you are communicating may eventually become public knowledge or intentionally distorted or part of a lawsuit, because all communications bring that potential reality. Do not say or write anything that you would feel uncomfortable reading in the morning newspaper!
13. Initiate Documentation for Potential Discovery
We absolutely do have the ability to anticipate some of the problematic issues that will come our way, and we need to prepare for those issues! With imperfect certainty, we often know which employees are likely to become increasingly problematic, but equally often we do not insist upon documentation of our counseling or remediation efforts. Then, when those employees sue the agency, we have very little in terms of defensive documentation. Despite a parade of witnesses on behalf of the organization, the legal reality is that if something is not in writing it did not occur.
The failure to address and document increasingly problematic behaviors or tendencies is a terrible dereliction of a leader’s responsibility.
14. Stay Away from Personal Social Media
Keep your fingers off that keyboard!! Except for professionally intended messages by whoever handles public or media affairs, stay away from social media. Your workforce, community, and professional colleagues will read everything that you might post, and anything that can be misconstrued or distorted probably will be! Those with special agendas or who advocate for special goals will twist your message to fit their purposes and loudly proclaim your words to advance their objectives.
15. Institutionalize Congratulations & Condolences
Special occasions from special people merit a message from you. Births, marriages, loss of a loved one, notable accomplishments, and related issues involving your employees and others with whom you associate should get a personal note from you. Going further, related issues involving persons in your community—everything from the loss of community members to Eagle Scout honors—should be considered if feasible.
While a personally written note is best, it is often not practical. Consider having a staff clerical person who is aware of your desires take the initiative, prepare written notes for your signature, and orchestrate the process. All communities are full of retired secretaries and clerical workers who would appreciate the opportunity to be associated with your organization in this manner as volunteers; make this happen under the guidance of your key clerical persons (with your smiles and appreciation!).
16. Create an Appropriate Time and Environment for Critical Conversations
The impact and seriousness of a conversation is greatly enhanced when conducted at a designated time and at a designated place. Avoid the temptation to ask someone to drop by the office when convenient or in any other manner that can be misinterpreted as anything other than a serious discussion. Have the employee notified of the time, and select a private and comfortable location that lends itself to a serious discussion. While there may be scheduling issues or the need for a third person, such as a union representative, the dynamics for making it clear that it is an important conversation remain the same.
17. Develop the Courage to be Candid
People need to know where they stand! Whether happy or sad or good or bad, look people in the eye and give them the benefit of your perspective and opinion. Do not hint or suggest or beat around the bush or behave in any way that fails to convey your thoughts and concerns about the matter at hand. If you are certain, say so. If it is an impression and you may be mistaken, say that as well. If appropriate and possible, provide a pathway to resolution of whatever the issue might be.
In the case of an employee who desires the involvement of an employee representative who may not be available, consider a video conference to enable the presence of that representative. While being sensitive to employee rights for representation, there are many instances where realistically there is no role for a representative to play other than observer, which can be done with a conference call.
Don’t kick the can of courage down the road! At the time you become aware of—or strongly suspect—an issue that needs to be addressed, do it! It is easy to defer unpleasant conversations, but everybody loses when this occurs. Just like you would want your boss to bring an issue involving you to your attention, most of our employees want the same for them. Examples of situations for which a direct and serious conversation is necessary include talking too much, personal hygiene, interpersonal relations, personal appearance, inappropriate behaviors, and related types of issues.
While methods of recording may differ, document your discussions. A cryptic note about bad breath may be good for your calendar while a formal letter of instruction may be appropriate for inappropriate behavior. Think discovery and the need to behave professionally in everything you say and do. Again, if something is not in writing, it did not occur.
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Leadership is built in the quiet moments—how you apologize, what you don’t say, and how you truly listen. Explore more insights from Keith Bushey on The Bushey Perspective →
