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 The 5 Temptations

Temptation #1: Choosing Status over Results
The most important principle that an executive must embrace is a desire to produce results. As obvious as this sounds, it is not universally practiced by the highest ranking executives in many companies. Many CEOs put something ahead of results on their list of priorities, and it represents the most
dangerous of all the temptations: the desire to protect the status of their career.

Temptation #2: Choosing Popularity over Accountability
Even CEOs who resist the temptation to over focus on protecting their status sometimes fail. Why? Because they do not hold their direct reports accountable for delivering on the commitments that drive results. This happens because they succumb to a different temptation: the desire to be popular.

Temptation #3: Choosing Certainty over Clarity
Even CEOs who resist the temptation to protect their status and to be popular with their direct reports sometimes fail. Why? Because even if they are willing to hold their direct reports accountable, they are often reluctant to do so because they don’t think it’s fair. That’s because they haven’t made it clear what those direct reports are accountable for doing. Why don’t they make these things clear? Because they give in to yet another temptation: the need to make “correct” decisions, to achieve certainty.

Temptation #4: Choosing Harmony over Conflict
Even CEOs who resist the temptation to protect their status, to be popular with their direct reports, and to make correct decisions sometimes fail because they don’t feel comfortable with the decisions they make. That’s because they haven’t benefited from the best sources of information that are always available to them: their direct reports. Why not? Because they give in to the next temptation: the desire for harmony.

Temptation #5: Choosing Invulnerability over Trust
Even CEOs who resist the temptation to protect their status, to be popular with their direct reports, to make correct decisions, and to create harmony sometime fail. Why? Because even though they are willing to cultivate productive conflict, their people may not be willing to do so. Why not? Because the CEO gives in to the final temptation: the desire for invulnerability.

Overcoming The 5 Temptations

Temptation #1: Choosing Status over Results
Make results the most important measure of personal success, or step down from the job. The future of the company you lead is too important for customers, employees, and stockholders to hold it hostage to your ego.

Temptation #2: Choosing Popularity over Accountability
Work for the long-term respect of your direct reports, not for their affection. Don’t view them as a support group, but as key employees who must deliver on their commitments if the company is to produce predictable results. And remember, your people aren’t going to like you anyway if they
ultimately fail.

Temptation #3: Choosing Certainty over Clarity
Make clarity more important than accuracy. Remember that your people will learn more if you take decisive action than if you always wait for more information. And if the decisions you make in the spirit of creating clarity turn out to be wrong when more information becomes available, change plans and explain why. It is your job to risk being wrong. The only real cost to you of being wrong is loss of pride. The cost to your company of not taking the risk of being wrong is paralysis.

Temptation #4: Choosing Harmony over Conflict
Tolerate discord. Encourage your direct reports to air their ideological differences, and with passion. Tumultuous meetings are often signs of progress. Tame ones are often signs of leaving important issues of the table. Guard against personal attacks, but not to the point of stifling important
interchanges of ideas.

Temptation #5: Choosing Invulnerability over Trust
Actively encourage your people to challenge your ideas. Trust them with your reputation and your ego. As a CEO, this is the greatest level of trust that you can give. They will return it with respect and honesty, and with a desire to be vulnerable among their peers.

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