#340: How self-interested are you?

Most leaders probably don't think of themselves as particularly self-interested.

However, self-interest doesn't only appear through obvious behaviours such as political manoeuvring, blaming others or trying to climb the career ladder at someone else's expense. It can also appear in small, everyday moments.

Checking a message while someone is talking. Repeatedly cancelling one-on-one meetings. Being consistently unavailable. Failing to take an interest in someone's career development. These actions may not come from bad intentions, but they can still make people feel unimportant.

In this episode, I explore small, medium and large examples of self-interest and consider how they affect trust, morale and leadership credibility.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why self-interest can derail otherwise capable leaders.
• How distraction and a lack of attention can make people feel unimportant.
• Why repeatedly cancelling one-on-ones damages relationships.
• How constant busyness can begin to look like self-interest.
• Why supporting career development is an important leadership responsibility.
• How blaming, avoiding accountability and political manoeuvring destroy trust.
• Why the perception of self-interest matters, even when it isn't your intention.
• How focusing on others can ultimately improve your own leadership results.

Resources

• Leadership coaching: Work with Ben.

What do you think?

What examples of self-interest have you seen from leaders? Do you sometimes notice any of these behaviours in yourself?

Leave a comment on the show notes page below or join the discussion on Spotify.