Here is a collection of tweets that contrasts the difference between pretend-leaders and actual leaders. Pretend leaders act for the benefit of themselves; true leaders act for the benefit of those they lead.
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Faking it: Having aides “walk back” inflammatory remarks
Leading it: Speaking coherently, concisely and with consistency
Faking it: Surrounding yourself with people who cheer your every word.
Leading it: Engage with people who disagree to find mutual benefits.
Faking it: Bloviating. Bragging. Boasting.
Leading it: Letting your deeds speak for themselves.
Faking it: Deny reality.
Leading it: Confront reality.
Faking it: Surrounding yourself with people who talk about how smart you are
Leading it: Making it safe for people to disagree with you.
Faking it: Saying everything is fine because you say it is
Leading it: Looking for problems and finding them so you can mobilize solutions
Faking it: Peddling untruths to obfuscate reality
Leading it: Telling the truth… even when it hurts.
Faking it: Questioning the motives of those who criticize
Leading it: Investigating the reasons for criticism
Faking it: Conflating activity with productivity
Leading it: Holding people accountable for results
Faking it: Pitting direct-reports against one another
Leading it: Expecting direct-reports to cooperate, coordinate & collaborate
Faking it: Using confrontation to bully everyone who disagrees with you
Leading it: Confronting problems that threaten to erode integrity
Faking it: Blaming others for mistakes that occur on your watch
Leading it: Accepting responsibility for actions of others you supervise
Faking it: Believing that temperament is “winning.”
Leading it: Knowing that temperament is demeanor and deportment.
Faking it: Considering “shooting from the lip” a sign of strength
Leading it: Choosing words carefully because they have consequences
Faking it: Expecting people to “owe” you their loyalty
Leading it: Earning loyalty by treating people with respect
Faking it: Radiating desperate insecurity with every insult
Leading it: Ignore the “noise.” Focus on the work.
Faking it: Acting tough for the sake of expediency.
Leading it: Using a moral compass as your guide.
Faking it: I am the solution to YOUR problem.
Leading it: We are the solutions to OUR problems.
Faking it: One step forward, two steps back. Half-step forward.
Leading it: One step forward, one step back. Two steps ahead.
Faking it: Promoting yourself in front of people who serve you
Leading it: Honoring the people who make you and your organization succeed.
Faking it: Invoking a higher power in whose values you do not abide
Leading it: Making certain your example reflects values of higher power
Faking it: Talking up your personal success
Leading it: Praising the good work of your team
Faking it: Obsessing over trivia while ignoring the big picture
Leading it: Focusing on the big picture and ignoring distractions
Faking it: Punching back at every criticism, no matter how trivial
Leading it: Ignoring “noise” because you value comportment
Faking it: Fixating on feuds and “getting even”
Leading it: Focusing on doing the job right
Faking it: Attack the messenger when faced with bad news
Leading it: Deal with bad news by finding solutions
Faking it: Creating distractions that turn focus away from problems
Leading it: Focusing on real problems and ignoring distractions
Faking it: Promoting rumor and innuendo but crying foul if turned against you
Leading it: Speaking the truth or saying nothing at all
Faking it: Becoming unglued at the first hint of crisis
Leading it: Radiating calm because your people expect you to be strong
Faking it: Focusing on yourself because that’s all you know.
Leading it: Thinking big. Challenging your people to do even bigger.
Faking it: Wasting time on getting even with “enemies”
Leading it: Focusing on what you can do for those you lead to make things better
Faking it: Expecting people to support you after you incited hatred
Leading it: Earning the support through your example and actions
Faking it: Using humiliation as a weapon against the weak
Leading it: Practicing humility as a virtue
Faking it: Believing that you can buy loyalty
Leading it: Understanding that loyalty is earned through example
Faking it: Worrying about the size of the decorations on the cake
Leading it: Making certain everyone has his/her piece OF the cake
Faking it: Worrying about personal slights because you are focused on image
Leading it: Focusing your energy on making a positive difference
Faking it: Putting personal interest ahead of the organization
Leading it: Understanding that conflicts of interest ARE conflicts.
Faking it: Talking tough to cover deep insecurities
Leading it: Projecting confidence because you who you are and what you can do
Faking it: Believing you are the solution for every problem
Leading it: Putting strong people into positions to do their best
Faking it: Make every issue about yourself
Leading it: Be accountable for your actions… and their consequences
Faking it: Blustering to hide deep insecurities
Leading it: Radiating confidence that comes from a centered-self
Faking it: Gloating in triumph becuz you think it makes you strong
Leading it: Exercising magnanimity over a defeated foe becuz it’s right
Faking it: Using your authority to make things difficult for those who cannot fight back
Leading it: Standing up for rights of all
Faking it: Refusing to change course because you put ego ahead of truth
Leading it: Acknowledging change when reality dictates it
Faking it: Believing that autocracy is leadership
Leading it: Knowing that our Founders fought a Revolution against autocracy
Faking it: Aligning yourself with people of questionable ethics
Leading it: Understanding that integrity is the foundation of trust
Faking it: Believing that talking tough is the same as being tough
Leading it: “Walk softly and carry a big stick.”
Faking it: Embracing suspect POVs that disrupt governance
Leading it: Understand that logic and reason are the foundation of governance
Faking it: Dismissing facts that conflict with your POV
Leading it: Understanding that opinions can change; facts do not
Faking it: Believing that ignorance is defensible
Leading it: Firing people who hide behind their ignorance
Faking it: Acting the role of expert when it is clear you are winging it
Leading it: Surrounding yourself w/people who know more than you
Faking it: Deny, deny, deny
Leading it: Seeking and promoting the truth. Always.
Faking it: Making excuses to assuage your ego
Leading it: Working to get thing right because others depend upon your actions
Faking it: Believing what you say is reality
Leading it: Understanding that your assumptions may be just that… assumptions.
Faking it: Talking what you say rather than what you do
Leading it: Letting your actions speak louder than your words
Faking it: Believing that power makes you smart
Leading it: Sharing information becuz you know that power shared is power gained
Faking it: Stating you know more about the issues than anyone
Leading it: Questioning assumptions that challenge your POV
Faking it: Looking down on those you are supposed to lead
Leading it: Looking forward to bringing people together because you are a leader
Faking it: Praising a rival who breaks the law
Leading it: Regarding those who break the law as criminals… plain and simple
Faking it: Praising people who feed your ego
Leading it: Surrounding yourself with those who will speak truth to power
Faking it: Believing that flattery means people believe in you
Leading it: Understanding that flattery is just noise… and to be ignored
Faking it: Insisting your POV supersedes facts
Leading it: Believing that facts are not opinions
Faking it: Talking up what you did for the team
Leading it: Shining the spotlight on those who do the work
Faking it: Talking tough because you think it makes you strong
Leading it: Letting your bold actions speak for themselves
Faking it: Using fear to stir dissension
Leading it: Working hard to bring people together for common cause
Faking it: Hiring people who are unqualified but who profess loyalty
Leading it: Promoting people who are competent and can do the job right
Faking it: Dismissing the need for apology because you think it makes you weak
Leading it: Making amends to those you have harmed
Faking it: Quibbling over details especially when you are offended
Leading it: Focusing on the big picture and the hell with everything else
Faking it: Finding blame for others when things go wrong
Leading it: Finding solutions in order to fix problems
Faking it: Denigrating your opponents because you think it makes you stronger
Leading it: Seeking to build bridges to those who oppose you
Faking it: Gloating because you think it makes you look stronger
Leading it: Getting down to business because it’s your job
Faking it: Avoiding responsibility by deflecting and distracting
Leading it: Being accountable always
Faking it: Dismissing news you don’t like as “false”
Leading it: Pursuing the truth because some issues transcend individuals
Faking it: Talking about how “smart” you are
Leading it: Letting your actions speak for your intelligence
Faking it: Promoting people who flatter you
Leading it: Hiring people who speak truth to power
Faking it: Equating grandstanding with governing
Leading it: Understanding that leadership is more than playing to an audience
Faking it: Disregarding a reality that does not conform to your world view
Leading it: Embracing truth when in conflict with your POV
Faking it: Boasting about what you have achieved
Leading it: Praising the accomplishments of others
Faking it: “Punching down” at the “little people” who criticize you
Leading it: Upholding the rights of all people … even your critics
Faking it: Putting “fact-free zealots” into positions of power
Leading it: Insisting that executives understand reality and its consequences
Faking it: Believing whatever you say is the “truth”
Leading it: Understanding that leadership w/o truth is a lie
Faking it: Surrounding yourself with people who never challenge you
Leading it: Demanding that people challenge your assumptions
Faking it: Showing off so you get credit for “everything”
Leading it: Making a positive difference without seeking credit for anything
Faking it: Saying a bully is “different” in private
Leading it: Understanding that a bully with manners is still a bully
Faking it: Embracing someone whom you condemned b/c they lacked integrity
Leading it: Living your values even when it makes you “unpopular”
Faking it: Parading job candidates in front of the cameras as a means of showing off
Leading it: Keep job interviews private until hiring
Faking it: Complaining when you are criticized.
Leading it: Learning from feedback so you can improve.
Faking it: Celebrating a win by praising yourself
Leading it: Marking victory by lauding the contributions of others
Faking it: Putting principles aside when they are “inconvenient”
Leading it: Living by your principles when they are hard to abide
Faking it: Failing to recognize when it’s time to step down
Leading it: Grooming your successor and making a graceful handoff
Faking it: Enjoying the title w/o earning responsibility that accompanies it
Leading it: Embracing responsibility without care for a title
Faking it: Making things up to make your own reality
Leading it: Making certain you have your facts straight
Faking it: Changing your opinion because you want to be liked
Leading it: Standing up for your principles even when others disagree with you
Faking it: Using ignorance as an excuse for action
Leading it: Understanding the issues and then acting
Faking it: Thinking the media’s job is to report how great you are
Leading it: Believing the media’s job is to hold leaders accountable
Faking it: Being thin-skinned because you think the world owes you respect
Leading it: Earning respect because you set a positive example
Faking it: Believing flattery is sincere appreciation
Leading it: Knowing that flattery is nothing more than sucking up
Faking it: Acting as if you are unopposed
Leading it: Stepping aside to let new voices be heard
Faking it: Taking credit for something others did without you
Leading it: Sharing credit with those who did the work
Faking it: Saying that people who promote racist views are good colleagues
Leading it: Disavowing the views of those who traffic in hate
Faking it: Pretending that bigotry and sexism is normal politics
Leading: Standing up for rights of all… even those with whom you disagree
Faking it: Pointing fingers when things don’t go your way
Leading it: Owning the consequences of your actions
Faking it: Lying because you think it makes you smart
Leading it: Telling the truth even when it hurts you
Faking it: Using anger to promote division and discord
Leading it: De-escalating anger to promote justice and understanding
Faking it: Reject everything that does not conform to your POV
Leading it: Seeking to understand what is foreign to your POV
Faking it: Embracing ideas of fear, rejection and hatred
Leading it: Living values of integrity, trust and dignity
Faking it: Your aides apologize for your mistakes
Leading in: You apologize for your own mistakes
Faking it: Seeing the world from your own personal perspective
Leading it: Seeing the world how others view it, too.
Faking it: Boasting that you have all the answers
Leading it: Knowing you need counsel of people smarter than yourself
Faking it: Failing to learn from mistakes
Leading it: Embracing mistakes as learning experiences
Faking it: Making things up as you go to make yourself look important
Leading it: Remembering that words and actions have consequences
Faking it: Talking more than you do.
Leading it: Doing more than you speak.
Faking it: Talking tough to people who cannot protect themselves
Leading it: Standing up for the rights of those most in need of protection
Faking it: Bragging about what you do
Leading it: Honoring the service of others
Faking It: Claiming you have all the answers
Leading It: Soliciting the advice and counsel of others
Faking it: Ignoring bad behavior of followers
Leading it: Rebuking bad behavior of followers
Faking It: Deflect, Deny, Denigrate
Leading: Transparent, Truthful, Trusted [10.30.16]