In my last post I wrote about the importance of knowing when to break the rules and the leadership it takes to help others do so. Today, I want to focus on how our actions (or inaction) can lead others to behave inappropriately. Without knowing or intending to, our actions may lead people astray. Our behaviors may give people the impression that the rules do not apply to them. Our actions may even make them believe that they have our tacit approval to break rules or even break laws. Our failure to react to one misdeed may give them the impression that we will ignore others. As leaders, we must recognize that our behaviors and choices send messages for others to interpret, and if we are not careful, they may lead to disaster or tragedy.
Last week, Penn State learned this lesson as it tried to come to terms with the biggest fine in NCAA history. This fine is another chapter in an ongoing story that has brought shame on the university, Penn State football, and Joe Paterno. It will be a long time before anyone thinks of Penn State football without shuddering at the thought of the evil that is Jerry Sandusky. Moreover, Joe Paterno has gone from being the “gold standard” of football coaches to the leader who ignored Sandusky’s crimes.
The investigation conducted by former FBI Director Louis Freeh discovered three main reasons that Paterno and others in leadership positions at Penn State chose not to act:
- No one told them that Sandusky’s actions were sexual.
- They wanted to treat Sandusky humanely.
- Someone else would handle it.
Collectively, these excuses scream of moral cowardice and poor leadership. They remind me of lessons I learned from my parents, my teachers, in church, and on the playground. Many of these have been reinforced throughout my career. First, whenever I hear statements like, “no one told them..,” I always think of something my mom taught me as a boy: “It is as important to avoid the image of impropriety as impropriety itself.” She taught me that if something seems wrong it often is, and I have a moral obligation to act. That doesn’t mean that she expected me to become a moral vigilante. Rather, she wanted me to trust my instincts and live my values. On multiple occasions in my career, I suspected something inappropriate was happening, and this guidance compelled me to look into it. On several occasions it was clear I needed to take action, and on one occasion this choice cost me my job. Paterno may not have known what Sandusky was doing was sexual, but he must have suspected that it was at a minimum inappropriate.
As leaders, we have a responsibility to act humanely when dealing with those we lead even when they are Jerry Sandusky. Where Paterno and others failed was in ignoring the responsibility to the victims. Our humanity isn’t limited to those for whom we are accountable. Even if the abuse hadn’t occurred at Paterno’s workplace, I believe he had a responsibility to act. However, the fact that it did happen in his locker room makes his failure unconscionable.
Finally, the last excuse can be translated as, “It’s not my job.” No leader worth the title would tolerate this explanation for a failure to meet a deadline or deliver on a commitment. “It’s not my job” is the antithesis of the type of accountability that real leaders demonstrate and expect of those they lead. Paterno’s willingness to offer this weak excuse is reason enough for him to lose his place among the great coaches. He was a hero to so many, but we should expect more from our heroes.
Those who admired Paterno for his success as a coach deserve more. Sports are important for so many reasons. They teach us discipline, personal responsibility, teamwork, and leadership. All coaches have an obligation to teach these lessons. Most often they will teach them by overt and deliberate action. Sometimes they will do so by their inaction. Coaches like Paterno, who enjoy a level of celebrity because of their success, have an even greater responsibility. Their actions or inactions will influence a much larger following.
The Penn State scandal represents a fundamental failure to live one’s values. From what I have read about Joe Paterno, he was a man of very strong values. He knew who he was in so many ways. That is what made him so successful. His values also helped him to be the “gold standard” for collegiate athletics by insisting that his athletes succeed academically. Paterno’s values helped his players understand his ethical expectations of them, which in turn kept Penn State Football virtually scandal-free during most of his 45 years as coach.
Now all of that success is wiped away, as it should be. A leader’s behavior is always under scrutiny, and one lapse can destroy years of achievement and courageous leadership. It is a shame to lose the goodness that Coach Paterno could have taught and did teach. We can only hope that other great coaches will rise to the challenge to fill the void he has left. If nothing else, Paterno’s failing reminds us that living our values and leading with them is difficult. We must remain vigilant. That is why it is so important to regularly revisit our values and beliefs and to constantly challenge ourselves to live and lead in a way that reflects them.
