Some rules are made to be broken. It’s true, but the real challenge is figuring out which ones they are and what it means to break them. Some are easy. Last week, an extraordinary rule breaker celebrated his 94 birthday. Nelson Mandela’s willingness to defy his government to oppose Apartheid changed a nation and made him an international symbol for transformation and reconciliation. Mandela’s life has taught us that breaking rules and paying the price for doing so can raise awareness to issues that must be addressed. Whether you are trying to change the world or just change your family, deciding to break rules takes selflessness, courage, and wisdom. Most of all it takes a willingness to lead.
It is easy to see the rightness of breaking the Apartheid laws. What about other less cut-and-dried rules? How do we know? How do we decide whether it is even worth taking the risk? In the end, it comes down to what we value. If something is important to us, we will feel compelled to act when following the rules would mean violating our values. That is what happened to a lifeguard named Tomas Lopez on July 2.
While working as a lifeguard on Hallandale Beach, Florida, Tomas Lopez rescued a swimmer in distress. He was a lifeguard, a swimmer was in trouble, and he took action. It seems pretty obvious. That’s what lifeguards do. What happened next was less obvious. His employer fired him. They cited company policy that requires lifeguards to remain in their section of beach at all times. He violated that policy by straying 500 yards away to make the rescue. In interviews following the incident, Lopez made it clear that he was doing what he believed was right. His values were more important than the rules.
This story resonated with me because it reminded me of events early in my career. First, back in the summer of 1983, while serving as a lifeguard in Virginia Beach, Virginia, I had a similar experience. I worked on 42nd Street. I was the last lifeguard on protected beach. The swimmers north of my stand were on their own, swimming at their own risk.
Late one afternoon, I noticed several people pointing up the beach at a boat that was anchored offshore. Not far from the boat was a group of swimmers, and one of them was in trouble. He had slipped behind his friends, and he was starting to panic. I had been given the same instructions as Tomas Lopez. Do not leave your section of beach. The people north of 42nd Street were not my concern. Just like Mr. Lopez, I chose to break the rule. I left my section to attempt to rescue the swimmer. Unlike Mr. Lopez I wasn’t a hero. A young surfer was. He paddled over and aided the swimmer before I arrived. Also unlike, Mr. Lopez, I wasn’t fired for my action. My boss never even reprimanded me. He later told me that he thought the rule was stupid and said he would have done the exact same thing.
The next year I was promoted to supervisor, so I got to be the one to enforce the rules. I was expected to give guidance to the lifeguards about how they should respond to different situations. Occasionally, a lifeguard would break a rule, and I had to decide what to do. Again, most were easy, like when a guard left the beach to help someone who collapsed on the boardwalk, or when I caught a guard reading a magazine while on duty. The first guard showed good judgment, and she was commended. The second showed poor judgment, so he was fired. On the other hand, some of the decisions were less clear, and I struggled to do the right thing. These difficult situations were only the first of many I have had to confront as a leader, and they taught me some important lessons.
As leaders, it is important for us to help those we lead see that rules sometimes need to be broken. We owe our people clarity about why a rule exists and why following it matters. That is the best way to increase the likelihood of rules being followed when they should be followed and broken for the right reasons. This type of clarity will help them see when following a rule would be contrary to its intent. For example, had Tomas Lopez not taken action, an untrained good Samaritan may have attempted to rescue the victim on July 2. That could have jeopardized more lives. By breaking a rule meant to keep people safe, Lopez did just that; he kept people safe. Ultimately, his employer recognized the wisdom of his decisions and foolishness of their own. They tried to do the right thing by reinstating him, but that decision came too late. Lopez chose to move on and find a different job, so they lost the opportunity to have a local hero on their team. They also suffered a major public relations debacle. They demonstrated that they were more interested in their insurance than saving lives.
What rules have you created that could create ethical dilemmas for those you lead? Have you considered the relationship between rules and values – both on an organizational and individual level? How have you reacted when breaking a rule has exposed inconsistencies between the rule and your values? Whether you are a leader at work, at home, in your community, or anywhere else, take the time to step back and examine the rules that exist. Focus on creating clarity for those we lead to help them know when they should break a rule. Most importantly, what are you willing to do about the ones that need changing? Sure, we aren’t ending Apartheid, but we still have the opportunity to do the right thing and help those we lead do the same.
