Leaders Good At Everything? [The BGAE Syndrome]
Have you ever felt the pressure and stress of leadership?
If you are in a leadership position, the answer is most definitely, “yes!”
As gratifying and enjoyable as leadership can be, it can also be mentally and emotionally taxing. Bearing the responsibility of others, a department or even an entire organization, is not without its side effects.
Because of the stress often involved in leadership, many new leaders – as well as experienced ones – experience burnout. And, while there are many situations that can contribute to the burnout of a leader, one that can be avoided is the Be Good At Everything Syndrome.
BGAE can affect leaders of all ages and experience levels. Because leaders, by nature, are often very capable people, their abilities often contribute to the problems associated with BGAE.
In an effort to prove they are worthy of the “expert” label they carry, leaders often feel they have to continue to justify their position by knowing and being good at everything.
Not all who suffer from BGAE Syndrome are bad leaders. Many are good leaders who may need to consider a different approach…
You see, the “carrier” of the virus that breeds BGAE is… pride.
Pride tells us we have to be the best at everything. Pride tells us we have to “get what’s ours” and to “look out for number one.” However, reality tells us that being good at everything is simply not possible. So, to continue ATTEMPTING to be good at everything is a recipe for leadership disaster.
Effective treatment of BGAE is a healthy dose of Servant Leadership.
Servant leaders take the gifts and talents they’ve been blessed with and bless others.
Servant leaders build others up and build teams to accomplish things that no individual could ever accomplish alone.
Leaders with BGAE constantly try to feed the insatiable appetite of their pride, while the servant leader is looking out for the interests of others.
This is not to say that leaders with BGAE don’t get a lot accomplished. Hard work and diligence are wonderful traits in any individual. But, how that hard work is invested can heavily impact the likelihood of burnout and ultimately, how many people you truly are leading.
No one is immune to BGAE Syndrome. If your heart is ticking, you are a candidate to get infected. Keep pride in check and always be thinking TEAM, not ME.
