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<v Speaker 1>Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of

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<v Speaker 1>performance through strong human relations, team building, and goalachieving. This

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<v Speaker 1>is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul Fellovaledo.

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<v Speaker 1>Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>It's episode four h two and today I want to

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<v Speaker 1>break down a quote that hits like a freight train. Week.

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<v Speaker 1>Leaders protect their reputation. Strong leaders protect their team. You've

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<v Speaker 1>probably seen both in action, and if we're being honest,

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<v Speaker 1>most of us have at some point leaned toward protecting

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<v Speaker 1>our own reputation. That's human nature. But leadership isn't about nature.

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<v Speaker 1>It's about responsibility. And this quote draws a hard line

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<v Speaker 1>between those who are in leadership for the image and

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<v Speaker 1>those who are in it for the people. So let

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<v Speaker 1>me break this down reputation management versus real leadership. Weak

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<v Speaker 1>leaders are obsessed with how they look to upper management,

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<v Speaker 1>to the board, to social media. Their every move is

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<v Speaker 1>calculated not to serve the team, but to protect their

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<v Speaker 1>own status. They'll shift blame, they'll dodge responsibility, they'll stay

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<v Speaker 1>silent when the team needs them to speak up. And

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<v Speaker 1>here's the problem. When you spend more energy guarding your

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<v Speaker 1>own name. Than building up your own people, your name

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<v Speaker 1>loses its value because real leadership isn't built in front

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<v Speaker 1>of a mirror. It's built in the trenches. The second one,

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<v Speaker 1>strong leaders take hits for the team. A strong leader

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<v Speaker 1>steps in the way of incoming fire. They don't throw

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<v Speaker 1>their team under the bus to save face. They're the

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<v Speaker 1>ones who say things like, if there's a problem, that's

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<v Speaker 1>on me. If a mistake was made, I'll own it.

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<v Speaker 1>If someone needs to be held accountable, start with me.

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<v Speaker 1>That doesn't mean they excuse failure or ignore bad behavior.

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<v Speaker 1>It means they handle it inside the walls, not out

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<v Speaker 1>in the open like a public spectacle. They protect the

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<v Speaker 1>team from unnecessary embarrassment or fallout while still addressing what

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<v Speaker 1>needs to be fixed. That's strength, that's character, that's leadership.

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<v Speaker 1>The third one where this shows up in real life.

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<v Speaker 1>Scenario one, a project goes sideways, deadlines are missed, the

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<v Speaker 1>client's unhappy. The week leader points fingers at the team

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<v Speaker 1>in front of senior executives. Strong leaders say we didn't

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<v Speaker 1>hit the mark and I'll fix it. Scenario number two,

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<v Speaker 1>an employee makes a mistake that costs the company money.

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<v Speaker 1>Week leaders writes up the employees, sends an email to

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<v Speaker 1>cover themselves in distances themselves from the situation. Strong leaders

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<v Speaker 1>have a private conversation they coach them then says to leadership,

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<v Speaker 1>I've handled it. One is driven by fear, the other

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<v Speaker 1>driven by trust. Number four, how to be the strong

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<v Speaker 1>leader in the room. Here's three tactical ways to lead

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<v Speaker 1>with strength, not ego. Take the bullet first if something

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<v Speaker 1>goes wrong. Protect your people. You can coach them later,

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<v Speaker 1>but in the moment, stand between them and the fallout

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<v Speaker 1>and share the wins. Shoulder the losses when things go right.

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<v Speaker 1>Highlight your team when they go wrong. Take the hit.

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<v Speaker 1>You'll gain respect that lasts far longer than your reputation

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<v Speaker 1>ever will and stop managing up, start leading across and down.

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<v Speaker 1>If your priority is impressing your boss more than empowering

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<v Speaker 1>your team, you've got your compass pointed in the wrong direction.

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<v Speaker 1>Trust me, when you take care of your team, they'll

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<v Speaker 1>take care of everything else. So leadership is not a performance.

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<v Speaker 1>It's not a pr campaign to be liked, followed, or praised.

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<v Speaker 1>It's about being willing to put your ego in the

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<v Speaker 1>line to protect the people who show up and do

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<v Speaker 1>the hard work. Every day. The greatest leaders I've met

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<v Speaker 1>in my life weren't the loudest in the boardroom or

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<v Speaker 1>the ones with the flashiest bios. They were the ones

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<v Speaker 1>who had their teams back every time, even when it

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<v Speaker 1>cost them, even when no one saw it. So I'll

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<v Speaker 1>leave you with this, do you want to be remembered

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<v Speaker 1>as someone who protected their image or someone who protected

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<v Speaker 1>their people? Because the answer to that question will define

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<v Speaker 1>the legacy of your leadership. This has been the seven

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<v Speaker 1>Minute Leadership Podcast, and I thank you for listening. For

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<v Speaker 1>more Paul fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot com.