In 2001, the team sat in disbelief when they heard Mason was promoted into a leadership position.  Now eleven years later, the four remaining people from that old team sat at a table together after dinner at another national sales meeting.

Paul looked up from his iPhone, “Contrary, insubordinate, incompliant, and rebellious.  According to Webster, that’s what intractable means.  Stop using such big words Tara.  I’m always need to look stuff up around you!“

An Intractable Leader is an OxyMORONic Leader

They had just been informed that Mason was no longer with the company due violating company and federal marketing regulations.

“Sorry Paul.  But we all could have told them a decade ago that Mason was trouble.  He was a terrible follower.  What made them think he was leadership material?”

Darrell laughed, “How about his record.  He could get a vegan to eat a Big Mac.  Don’t you remember?  Quarter after quarter he was #1 on our team.  His numbers overruled their common sense.”

Craig shook his head. “Mason wasn’t a bad guy.  He was just uncoachable.  Tara is right.  He was just a terrible follower.  I could make a list of the signals a decade ago that predicted his downfall.”

“I bet we all could tell similar stories….”  Tara trailed off.

Over the next hour each person shared a Mason story.  Each one was punctuated with laughter and a common theme, “They should have known.”

Mason:  The Follower and The Leader

Paul’s Story- Mason The Contrary Follower

“Every meeting, Mason had to argue with everyone.  If you made a point, he was going to make a counterpoint.  It was worse with Rita.

That poor woman didn’t know what to do with someone like Mason.  She wasn’t a strong enough leader to control Mason.  He would dominate the meetings and dominate her.”

Paul’s Story- Mason The Contrary Leader

“I heard it didn’t change once he reached headquarters.  Supposedly he tried to talk over the top of the VP of Marketing a couple of times early on and was quickly shut down.  Mason called me one day and was irate.

He did not like that marketing guy.  Mason swore the guy was an idiot and had never spent any time in front of the customer.”

Tara’s Story- Mason The Insubordinate Follower

“It wasn’t Mason’s interaction with Rita that stuck out to me.  Remember, Tim?  He was the guy after Rita.  Tim had just been promoted to lead our team.  I was there when he and Mason got into it over breakfast.

Mason told Tim his experience selling in Kansas did not qualify him to tell him how to sell in Philadelphia. Tim was from Ohio!  It was probably the most uncomfortable meal I have ever had.”

Tara’s Story- Mason The Insubordinate Leader

“I know which marketing VP you are talking about Paul.  Four years ago, I saw Mason and that same VP having a heated discussion during a break at that year’s national meeting.

When Mason stopped to say hi to me, he used some pretty choice words to describe his feeling about that VP.  I guess things didn’t get any better from that meeting you described, Paul.”

Darrell’s Story- Mason The Incompliant Follower

“Mason always made me nervous.  He was my mentor when I came on the team.  He told me breaking marketing regulations was just part of the game.

He enjoyed playing the game because he thought he was smarter than the regulators.  He used to joke that at work, gray was his favorite color.”

Darrell’s Story- Mason The Incompliant Leader

“Things didn’t change.  I have a fraternity brother who worked for Mason from 2005-2007.  Mason continuously coached his people to push the limits.

He put together sales strategies that crossed the line.  Then he would get angry if anyone questioned him.  If you didn’t follow his guidance, he believed you did not want to win.

When my fraternity brother left the company, he reported these issues to the HR representative that did his exit interview.  I heard that was the beginning of the end for Mason.”

Craig’s Story- Mason The Rebellious Follower

“Well all these stories tie together don’t they?  Because I remember asking whether he was going to use one of the approved national strategies and he just laughed.  He told me that Tim didn’t have a clue how to sell in the big city.

In fact, when Tim went through that year’s changes in regulations, Mason told me that the people who followed those rules would lose to the people who didn’t.  Mason won that year.  I lost.”

Craig’s Story- Mason The Rebellious Leader

“That is what finally caught up with Mason.  He had three of his peers report him for his blatant violations.  He was bragging to them about how he could game the system and win.

I guess the system finally won.  The leadership should have known.  A poor follower does not make a good leader.

By the way, I hear Mason is suing the company in order to get a severance package.  How much money do you think this is going to cost the company?

That promotion 11 years ago is going to cost them a bundle.  Especially if the feds get ahold of any of his former employees.”

The Bottom Line:

Freshman year at West Point prepares future leaders by first teaching them how to follow.  An Intractable Leader is an OxyMORONic Leader.

My father, General Jim Anderson calls followership the foundation of leadership.  No matter where I am in the organizational hierarchy, I will always have to follow someone else’s lead.  Even CEO’s have to follow the lead of the Board of Directors or at least the laws of our nation.

If I have never learned to follow or have forgotten how to follow, my time as a leader will be limited.  In a previous blog I discuss how Coachability is A Window to Character.  Most leadership failures are character failures.

Leadership is a blend of Competence and Character.  An Intractable Leader has a character issue.

Mason was competent.  But just like most leadership failures, it was his character that caused his demise.

Question:

When have you seen a leader refuse to follow others?  What was the result?