I watched the news this morning and, like many of you, found the video of the Rutgers basketball coach disturbing. It disturbed me on several levels. The coach should read my e-book, Leadership
for New Manager: Book Two. In case you did not see the video, it shows the coach assaulting his players by hitting, kicking, pushing, and throwing a basketball at their legs and head. I am not a lawyer, but to my untrained eyes, it looks like assault. He also used homophobic slurs. He fits the definition of a bully.
The fact that the Athletic Director at Rutgers saw the same video months ago and did very little shows a lack of sound judgment on the director’s part. He suspended the coach for three games. Note the emphasis on the games rather than a period of time like three weeks. He should have fired him. I do not know for sure, but apparently, the suspension did not include any anger management training.
Here are my thoughts;
1. The coach is a bully and has anger management issues. Chances are that he also abuses his wife and children.
2. The Director’s punishment did not include anger management training or counseling.
3. The director should have known about the abuse long before he saw the video. He should have gotten out of his office and visited basketball practice. If he did not know, he should be fired for not checking up on his coaches. If he knew and decided not to punish the coach, he should be fired for lack of sound judgment.
4. I am willing to bet that the coach’s behavior is not new. He has a history of bullying. Rutgers should have discovered it when they screened him for the job. Did they know? Who decided to hire him?
5. What does the basketball coach have on the Athletic Director that keeps him from being fired?
6. Now days, it matters not only what you knew but when you knew it. It does not look good for Rutgers in either case.
Here is another excerpt from my e-book, Leadership for New Managers: Book Two:
2. Core Values
Although, there are many values and beliefs, but there are a few core ones. The following is a list of common core values for most people:
a Honor (honesty, integrity, ethics, truthfulness, candor, frankness, sincerity, principles, uprightness, the avoidance of deception):
Many names and labels describe the concept of honor. It requires impartiality and fairness. Kouzes and Posner administered a survey to over 75,000 people asking what values they look for in their leader; 88% of the respondents selected honesty. It means doing what is right legally and morally. This is in contrast to the fact that most people do not trust their leaders, especially CEOs.
Leader/managers of integrity consistently follow clear principles. Organizations rely on Leader/managers of integrity that are honest in word and deed. Leader/managers are honest to others by not presenting themselves or their actions as anything other than what they are, remaining committed to truth. To instill values in others, leader/managers must
demonstrate them.
Ethics indicate how a person should behave. Unethical behavior quickly destroys
organizational morale and cohesion. It can also destroy an organization; the Nixon Watergate scandal and the Enron scandal, are just two examples. It undermines the trust and confidence essential to teamwork and goal accomplishment. Consistently doing the right thing forges strong character in individuals and expands to create a culture of trust throughout the organization.
Associates expect leader/managers to do the right things for the right reasons. It is why
associates count on their leader/managers to be more than just technically proficient. They rely on them to make ethical decisions. Determining what is right and ethical can be difficult. Ethical choices may be between right and wrong, shades of gray, or two rights. Some problems center on an issue requiring special consideration of what is most ethical.
Ethical concerns are not new for leader/managers. Leader/managers should not intentionally issue vague instructions to avoid responsibility in the event a subordinate commits misconduct. Vague instructions may foster an ethical climate, permitting associates to act outside the framework of values to accomplish a task at all costs. Leader/managers have the responsibility for the
consequences of their actions.
Ethical reasoning is complex in practice. Resolving ethical problems requires critical thinking based on values. No formula will work every time. Making the right choice and acting on it when faced with an ethical question can be difficult. Sometimes it means standing firm and disagreeing with the boss on ethical grounds. These occasions test character. One technique that I have used when instructed to do something that is unethical is to have my boss repeat the instructions. Usually, he/she will withdraw the instructions or modify them into something ethical.
Why is this important? Krouzes and Posner in their research found that associates who find their leaders to have creditability are more likely to:
-Be proud to tell others they are part of the organization.
-Feel a strong sense of team spirit.
-See their own personal values as consistent with those of the organization
-Feel attached and committed to the organization
-Have a sense of ownership of the organization
When people perceive their managers to have low creditability, they were more likely to:
-Produce only when watched carefully.
-Be motivated primarily by money.
-Say good things about the organization publicly but criticize it privately.
-Consider
looking for another job if the organization experiences
problems.
-Feel
unsupported and unappreciated.
for New Manager: Book Two. In case you did not see the video, it shows the coach assaulting his players by hitting, kicking, pushing, and throwing a basketball at their legs and head. I am not a lawyer, but to my untrained eyes, it looks like assault. He also used homophobic slurs. He fits the definition of a bully.
The fact that the Athletic Director at Rutgers saw the same video months ago and did very little shows a lack of sound judgment on the director’s part. He suspended the coach for three games. Note the emphasis on the games rather than a period of time like three weeks. He should have fired him. I do not know for sure, but apparently, the suspension did not include any anger management training.
Here are my thoughts;
1. The coach is a bully and has anger management issues. Chances are that he also abuses his wife and children.
2. The Director’s punishment did not include anger management training or counseling.
3. The director should have known about the abuse long before he saw the video. He should have gotten out of his office and visited basketball practice. If he did not know, he should be fired for not checking up on his coaches. If he knew and decided not to punish the coach, he should be fired for lack of sound judgment.
4. I am willing to bet that the coach’s behavior is not new. He has a history of bullying. Rutgers should have discovered it when they screened him for the job. Did they know? Who decided to hire him?
5. What does the basketball coach have on the Athletic Director that keeps him from being fired?
6. Now days, it matters not only what you knew but when you knew it. It does not look good for Rutgers in either case.
Here is another excerpt from my e-book, Leadership for New Managers: Book Two:
2. Core Values
Although, there are many values and beliefs, but there are a few core ones. The following is a list of common core values for most people:
a Honor (honesty, integrity, ethics, truthfulness, candor, frankness, sincerity, principles, uprightness, the avoidance of deception):
Many names and labels describe the concept of honor. It requires impartiality and fairness. Kouzes and Posner administered a survey to over 75,000 people asking what values they look for in their leader; 88% of the respondents selected honesty. It means doing what is right legally and morally. This is in contrast to the fact that most people do not trust their leaders, especially CEOs.
Leader/managers of integrity consistently follow clear principles. Organizations rely on Leader/managers of integrity that are honest in word and deed. Leader/managers are honest to others by not presenting themselves or their actions as anything other than what they are, remaining committed to truth. To instill values in others, leader/managers must
demonstrate them.
Ethics indicate how a person should behave. Unethical behavior quickly destroys
organizational morale and cohesion. It can also destroy an organization; the Nixon Watergate scandal and the Enron scandal, are just two examples. It undermines the trust and confidence essential to teamwork and goal accomplishment. Consistently doing the right thing forges strong character in individuals and expands to create a culture of trust throughout the organization.
Associates expect leader/managers to do the right things for the right reasons. It is why
associates count on their leader/managers to be more than just technically proficient. They rely on them to make ethical decisions. Determining what is right and ethical can be difficult. Ethical choices may be between right and wrong, shades of gray, or two rights. Some problems center on an issue requiring special consideration of what is most ethical.
Ethical concerns are not new for leader/managers. Leader/managers should not intentionally issue vague instructions to avoid responsibility in the event a subordinate commits misconduct. Vague instructions may foster an ethical climate, permitting associates to act outside the framework of values to accomplish a task at all costs. Leader/managers have the responsibility for the
consequences of their actions.
Ethical reasoning is complex in practice. Resolving ethical problems requires critical thinking based on values. No formula will work every time. Making the right choice and acting on it when faced with an ethical question can be difficult. Sometimes it means standing firm and disagreeing with the boss on ethical grounds. These occasions test character. One technique that I have used when instructed to do something that is unethical is to have my boss repeat the instructions. Usually, he/she will withdraw the instructions or modify them into something ethical.
Why is this important? Krouzes and Posner in their research found that associates who find their leaders to have creditability are more likely to:
-Be proud to tell others they are part of the organization.
-Feel a strong sense of team spirit.
-See their own personal values as consistent with those of the organization
-Feel attached and committed to the organization
-Have a sense of ownership of the organization
When people perceive their managers to have low creditability, they were more likely to:
-Produce only when watched carefully.
-Be motivated primarily by money.
-Say good things about the organization publicly but criticize it privately.
-Consider
looking for another job if the organization experiences
problems.
-Feel
unsupported and unappreciated.
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