Page 173 - Fearless Leadership

160 FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

catalyzes others to follow your example and make their choice to be
100% accountable.
Isabel, a member of a leadership team in a pharmaceutical company,
learned how to intervene and end conspiracies against others. She took a
stand for the leadership team and their commitment to people and the
organization.

Changing Direction by Conspiring
For Others
Isabel’s peers did not trust her, at all. They felt that she undermined
the team at every opportunity and formed alliances with others
against the team. From Isabel’s perspective she felt as if her team was
ineffective and she distanced herself from their decisions. “I always
hear a lot of grumbling about our leadership team. Although I am a
member of the team, I think of myself as ‘one of the people,’ and I
defend the underdog,” explained Isabel in her private leadership ses-
sion. After explaining the victim triangle to Isabel, she cautiously said:
“Maybe I am a co-conspirator because when others complain, I climb
on board and make myself the good guy and my peers the bad guys.”
“Let’s be clear about what you are saying,” I responded. “This is not
a ‘maybe’ situation. You are definitely a co-conspirator and a victim,
and you have lost the trust and support of your team. Are you aware
of the damage you have created?”
Isabel was stunned by my statement; however, the feedback from
her peers that she had rationalized intellectually started to sink in at
an emotional level. She was troubled as she began to understand the
extent to which her peers did not trust her. Although it took a rigor-
ous intervention, Isabel had a significant breakthrough and took
accountability for undermining the efforts of her team.
We coached Isabel in how to clean up the conspiracies she had
participated in against her team as the first step in building a com-
mitted partnership.

The Result. Isabel met with each member of her team, apolo-
gized, and took accountability for her impact. Because she had cre-