Digital Dealer - September 2017 - 7

the courage to speak
up, challenge you, and
stretch you?
5. Do you keep your
commitments to your
people so that trust is
built? Do they believe
you "have their back,"
or are they under the
impression you're out to
get them?
6. Are you committed to daily looking for
opportunities to positively
impact those you're most
directly responsible for,
or have you become so
busy "presiding" that you
no longer lead?
7. Do you understand
that if you are the person
on top, and the people
you are responsible for
are "wrong," that YOU
are the one thing these
people have in common and are ultimately
responsible and must be
accountable?
SCENARIO TWO:

The Los Angeles Police Commission defines
its purpose (as posted on
its website) as follows:
"The Board of Police
Commissioners, originally created in the 1920s,
is comprised of five
civilians who donate their
time to the City while
maintaining their professional careers. They are
appointed by the Mayor
and confirmed by the
City Council....
The Commissioners'
concerns are reflective
of the community at
large, and their priorities
include implementing
recommended reforms,
improving service to the
public by the Department, reducing crime
and the fear of crime,

and initiating, implementing, and supporting
community policing
programs."
On September 15,
2015, entertainment
lawyer Matthew Johnson
was elected president
of the LAPD Police
Commission after being
appointed by Mayor Eric
Garcetti. This high-profile opportunity to serve
comes with the massive
responsibility to set a
stellar example, citywide, for respecting the
law and advocating law
enforcement integrity and
accountability.

has made law enforcement's job more difficult
in protecting the public
property he publicly
favored trashing.
He has created a
mockery of his position as
president of said commission, damaging any
credibility he will need
to hold law enforcement
officials accountable for
doing their jobs when he
failed so miserably in his
own duties to live out the
commission's purpose
and promote law and
order.
You might think that a
leader appointed to pro-

ARE YOU THE MOST
VOCAL AND VISIBLE
ADVOCATE FOR YOUR
ORGANIZATION'S CORE
VALUES, OR DO YOU
THINK THE VALUES ARE
FOR OTHERS...?"
In May of 2017,
President Johnson was
captured in a TMZ video
advocating the vandalizing of the President of
the United States' Walk of
Fame star on Hollywood
Boulevard. His comments
were then broadcast on
TMZ's nationally televised
show. That is an extreme
version of leading by
example-a reprehensible example. The police
commission president's
promotion of violence
was a complete abdication of the commission's
stated purpose, and diminished the entire police
commission and every
member on it. Johnson's
irresponsible, immature,
and hypocritical behavior

mote law and order, yet
demonstrating hypocrisy
through such a divisive
and destructive example, would be removed
from his position by the
mayor who appointed
him, but there were no
consequences for Johnson's encouragement
to destroy public property. In fact, Johnson's
actions were offhandedly
dismissed because he
claims to have said them
"in jest" and apologized
for his actions.
"LOOK IN THE
MIRROR" LESSONS

1. Since there is more
at stake when leaders
demonstrate poor behavior, do you hold key
leaders more, or less,

accountable than frontline subordinates? Are
you even more inclined to
give more rope to those
you personally promoted
or mentored because
they're "yours?"
2. Are you prone to
publicly say foolish things
"in jest" that you must
later live down, apologize for, and do damage
control for?
3. Are you the most
vocal and visible advocate for your organization's core values, or do
you think the values are
for others to live by, while
you operate according
to a different and double
standard?
4. Do you expect
others to dismiss your
behavior simply because
you apologize, and that
an apology is a substitute
for consequences?
The two examples
and lessons given here
could form the basis of
an effective meeting with
your leadership team to
collectively look in the
mirror and begin holding
one another more accountable for leading by
the right example.
DAVE ANDERSON is
President of LearnToLead,
which provides in-person
and virtual training to
many of the world's best
dealerships. Dave speaks to
dealer groups over 125 times
each year and has given
seminars in 15 countries.
He's written the leadership
column for Dealer magazine
for the past 15 years. Dave's
13th book, "It's Not Rocket
Science: 4 Simple Strategies
for Mastering the Art of
Execution" is now available
worldwide. For leadership
tips follow Dave on Twitter @
DaveAnderson100. EMAIL:
dave@learntolead.com

D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M

SEPTEMBER 2017

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