By Chief Denis J. Borges
It doesn’t matter if it’s a police department, a business, a school, a church, or any other organization. If promotions and opportunities are based on friendships instead of performance, that organization is already headed in the wrong direction.
One of the biggest mistakes a leader can make is confusing loyalty with friendship. You don’t have to be best friends with someone for them to be one of your best employees. As a leader, there will be people you supervise that may never be your favorite person, and that’s okay. What matters is whether they show up, do their job, produce results, stay professional, and help move the organization forward.
Sometimes your top performer is the quiet one who doesn’t ask for recognition. They simply come to work every day, do what’s expected, and do it well. Those are often the people who deserve to be developed and given more responsibility.
On the other hand, every leader will eventually come across employees who seem to display what’s known as the Dunning-Kruger effect. What is that, you may ask? Simply put, it’s when someone overestimates their own abilities because they don’t recognize the gaps in their own knowledge, skills, or performance.
Some of these employees genuinely believe they’re ready for a promotion or more responsibility, even when their work doesn’t support it. They may do the bare minimum but think they’re the best thing since sliced bread. If you’re not careful, they’ll spend more time trying to convince you they’re ready than actually proving it through their actions.
As a leader, don’t confuse confidence with competence.
Look at the facts. Who consistently shows up? Who gets the job done? Who takes initiative? Who can be counted on when it matters most? Those are the people who deserve your attention.
Your decisions should never be based on who you like the most, who agrees with you the most, or who’s the loudest voice in the room. They should be based on who will make your organization stronger tomorrow than it is today.
The truth is, your best employees are watching every decision you make. They notice who gets rewarded and why. If they believe promotions are based on friendships or politics instead of merit, they’ll eventually lose motivation or take their talents somewhere else. When that happens, the organization loses its strongest people while keeping those who simply know how to play the game.
Strong leaders also aren’t afraid to promote someone who may think differently than they do. In fact, you should want people around you who bring new ideas, challenge you respectfully, and help make the organization better. A leadership team made up of people who always agree isn’t a strong team. It’s an echo chamber.
At the end of the day, leadership isn’t about winning a popularity contest. It’s about making the tough decisions that put the organization in the best position to succeed.
Pay attention and make the decision that’s best for your organization, not the decision that’s most likely to make everyone like you. Promote character, work ethic, integrity, and results. Those qualities build great organizations.
Great organizations aren’t built by promoting friends. They’re built by promoting the people who have earned the opportunity through hard work, integrity, accountability, and results. Leaders who make those decisions may not always be the most popular, but they’ll build organizations that stand the test of time.
Chief Denis J. Borges
