Acts of Leadership Cost Nothing

No matter what budget cutbacks or resource constraint we are faced with, one simple fact remains clear: It costs nothing for leaders to lead. There is no budget line item for demonstrations of leadership – acting with courage, respect, and integrity is free. On the other hand, failing to demonstrate acts of leadership may be incredibly costly to an organization, showing up as expenses under turnover, recruiting costs, legal fees, etc.

Last week, Stephen Paskoff, CEO of ELI^®, met with leaders at San Francisco State University and challenged them to consider what impact their leadership behaviors have on the SFSU’s reputation and mission. Despite the financial status of the state of California, Steve challenged attendees to look at what was available to them at no cost – their leadership skills and capabilities – to collaborate and hold each other accountable for leveraging the university’s vision and values. “Each one of us,” he said, “has the ability to make a huge difference simply by leveraging our knowledge and skills and being willing to hold each other accountable for creating an environment consistent with SFSU values. And the price? Free.” Acts of leadership cost nothing. Paradoxically, failing to act as a leader may be very costly.