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learned/how you overcame the failure. You will be more respected if you open up and disclose
failures as well as successes, and hopefully others will learn from the lessons learned in your failures.
An important component in disclosing personal setbacks is communicating how those setbacks were
ultimately overcome or otherwise ended in a positive way (e.g., “We ended up losing that client, but
the lessons learned allowed us to land our next big client.”).

14. Tend to treat everyone the same? Deal with people fairly, but not equally. Equal is not fair. Fair
is what’s appropriate, what’s fitting. Individuals and teams vary in capabilities, motivation, interests,
contribution, and many other dimensions. It follows, then, that to be fair about it, they should be
treated differently. Different levels of support. Different development. Different rewards. Different, but
fair. Preventing problems depends on decisions being made in an informed and carefully calculated
way, with the best intentions in mind for the organization and for individuals. Those intentions should
be out in the open and clearly communicated. When one project team learns it is not getting the same
level of resources that another is, it’s tough to swallow if the intentions are concealed or suspect. On
the other hand, the straightforward disclosure of intentions behind the decision makes it more
acceptable. Even if the shortchanged team disagrees with the decision, they will appreciate
understanding the intent behind it. And trust in the leadership will be preserved, even strengthened.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…
Anderson, A. R. (2013, April 17). Good employees make mistakes. Great leaders allow them to.
Forbes.
Goldsmith, M. (2010, April 23). Empowering your employees to empower themselves. Harvard
Business Review Blog Network.

Job assignments
• Pull together a creative-thinking group, inviting people from all functions, at all levels, to share their
ideas on overcoming key business challenges.

• Volunteer to lead a group through a change where there is a high level of resistance. Take time to
understand what’s causing people to feel as they do about the change and help them work through it.

• Lead an engagement task force to identify what needs to be done to increase levels of engagement
across the organization. Report findings and recommendations back to senior management.

• Take on a failing project and rally a team to turn it around. Involve everyone fully in generating ideas
for making the project a success and give them accountability.

• Identify the number one barrier to success across the organization. Present a proposal to senior
management on what must be done to eliminate the barrier.

Take time to reflect…
If you’re self-motivated, pumped, and raring to go…

…then recognize that everyone might not be. What engages one may disengage another. Take
time to find out what makes people tick.

© Korn Ferry 2014-2015. All rights reserved. WWW.KORNFERRY.COM

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