Earlier this year we talked about the leadership transformation of NY Giants head coach Tom Coughlin as he changed his style and approach. These changes, by a man in his 60s, are direct contributors to their Super Bowl victory.

This weekend, star receiver Plaxico Burress shot himself with a gun he was carrying illegally. There are three levels of authority to deal with here. The NYC police and the DA. The NFL. The NY Giants.

The Giants have spoken. Burress is suspended for the rest of the season. What would you have done? Better yet, let’s move this from the NFL to your office.

One of your best employees has just violated a company policy? Now what do you do? Let’s be clear that this person is a rainmaker. They are responsible for your firm making a boat load of cash. Maybe they didn’t violate a policy but they are acting poorly and in a way that is not consistent with your values. Perhaps your firm says safety is important on the job but this person cut some corners to get the job done and make you money. No harm, no foul you might say and you would not be alone in saying that but you would be very wrong.

Integrity is the absolute foundation of leadership and if you can’t be trusted to live up to your commitments and to enforce the policies of the company then, well, you can’t be trusted.

A client of mine once fired someone, a good employee, for having a gun at work. Clear violation of policy and inexcusable. Not an easy call to make but the right one.

You want to be perceived as a strong leader? Make the call when your corporate values are challenged by someone. It really isn’t different than a policy violation except you have the room to wiggle out of your commitments.

What would have happened to Plaxico if the gun hadn’t gone off? He was still in the wrong, carrying illegally, but no harm, no foul. Not with Tom Coughlin and the NY Giants.

As a leader you have to make the call. You KNOW what the right call is. Make the call.

Go Giants.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008 at 3:30 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.