Leadership and What do you say to Second Chances?
Incoming freshman to the University of Georgia this September now have one more elective to choose from...
PLL 100 (Poor Leadership Lessons 100).
The prerequisites are:
- must be willing to drink, drive, and fail a field sobriety test
- must be willing to have a younger woman in your vehicle, preferably past midnight, while your wife and kids wait at home for you
- must be willing to record a PSA that will be shown in the football stadium before every home game that explains the dangers of drinking and driving! (See PSA below)
I think it is safe to say that this was an example of poor leadership.
UGA President Michael Adams stated that "...this is not an example of the kind of leadership that I expect our senior administrators to set."
Really???
But here is the million dollar question for all my leaders out there?
Would YOU give him a second chance?
The bad news is that there is no right or wrong answer to this question. But as a leader, you need to know in advance where you stand on the second chance issue.
Once you allow a second (or third) chance for your employees who make mistakes, you will most likely have to offer that chance to every employee who errs.
However, if you have a zero mistake policy, then it needs to be enforced without exception.
As a leader, I live in the gray. I am not a big fan of black and white. However, when it comes to this issue of second chances, even I would have to pick a position and stick with it.
Leaders, one day you may have to make this decision with one of your own employees, so take time today to put yourself in the shoes of UGA President Adams.
Ask yourself what you would do with Damon Evans.
Would you let him go?
Or would you give him a second chance?
Because after all, you can't spell "second chance" without S-E-C...
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