Chilcot: Deceit and lies revealed?

Chilcot has reported and the facts are laid bare.  The headlines don't tell us anything that we didn't know already but the detail within the report is damning.

It would be too easy to use the report as an example of failure in numerous fields from robustness of data to strategic planning.  Now is not the time - perhaps in a few months that can be considered and similarities made with business operations.  For now I want to focus on one thing and that is Tony Blair's insistence that he took the right decision.

Not that the decision was based on flawed information, which is how so many commentators are looking at it, but to his state of mind.

It must be a terrible burden to know that your decision resulted in the death of thousands, tens of thousand of people.  It must be appalling to know that your decision has ruined hundreds of thousands of other lives around the world.  How then do you protect yourself from the terror of taking that decision?  How do you protect your sanity?

You do what Tony Blair has done.  Express remorse and sorrow for the result arising from the decision but stick fast to the mantra that it was the right one.  To admit it was the wrong one opens the door to unthinkable despair.

We can only speculate on his motivations for taking the decision he took.  Whether it was ego driven or not; whether it was a fundamentalist view of justice and retribution or not; whether it was an overwhelming fear of slaughter in his homeland or not.  Perhaps he has pondered for himself on those motivations.  If he has then his unconscious mind would protect him by convincing him that it was done for positive intent.

Has he lied?  Do we lie to ourselves when we take decisions?  Do we deceive ourselves to protect ourselves? To some extent I would say yes.  There are decisions taken which, on reflection we know were wrong.  Depending on the scale of that decision we either shrug it off on the one hand or gradually persuade ourselves that we couldn't have done anything else on the other.  

Fortunately we are not in a position where our decisions have the enormously negative impact on so many individuals as Iraq and I for one am thankful for that.  Tony Blair was, and there is only one way that he can survive.

3 top tips for leadership during turmoil

The UK is in a mess.  That seems to be the general consensus of opinion amongst the 'experts' that no one wanted to listen to, who predicted slumps in the pound, stock market crashes and everything else as a result of Brexit.  And it seems that the doom mongers are right.  Or are they?

Whatever the longer-term outcomes arising from Brexit the reality is that we are going through turmoil and this is a period when leaders are needed more than ever before.

It's not easy though, especially when there is so much uncertainty, so much 'mess' around.  It's difficult to get things into focus.  If it's not easy when you have a superior to report to who can act as your guide or signpost, then it's hugely difficult when you're at the top on your own with others expecting you to have all the answers.

Here's 3 top tips for those who are in that position.

Step away from the hysteria
The present situation has been whipped up over the weeks, mainly by a media that likes stark headlines, and reinforced by reporting over the last few days. Individuals can be caught in the subliminal message that's being portrayed that catastrophe is just around the corner and when enough people get sucked into that you get group hysteria which feeds upon itself.  Time will stop it but as a leader you don't have time.  Step away from the group to maintain perspective.  Resist the conversations that merely reinforce a negative scenario and introduce a reasonable, tone neutral clarification of what's happening. Beak the hysteria loop and model calm thinking for others to follow.

Keep an eye on the facts
Leaders have to have an umbrella view, to scan their own horizons and to do that you need to know the true facts and figures.   Ignore the hyperbole and focus on the specifics for your business. Ensure that others know the facts relevant to the business and discussions are held on the realities of the situation.  If your business doesn't rely on activity within the stock market then be aware but park it and ensure others do too.  If you're reliant on a certain exchange rate for your profit margins, analyse what will happen when it changes from x to y or z and have plans in place for that.  If a major customer is exposed as a result of Brexit then you'll put contingency plans in place in case they crash - as you would do for any client who might be at risk at any other time.  Good horizon scanning is a critical part of leadership and Brexit is just one of the factors that you should have been looking at in any event.

Show empathy
In a period of turmoil people look for certainty.  They're afraid of what might happen because they feel they're not in control.  They'll be worried about their own job security, their mortgages, savings, whether they can still go on holiday, that their neighbour or family member voted the other way and there's the possibility of division because of it.  Show that you understand their uncertainty, offer them options wherever possible so they can start to get a little control in their lives: let them explore how they can react if there is disharmony with their neighbours for example, how they can defuse an argument before it begins (it'll be useful within the business too!), include them in your own planning for the future of the business.  Show them a bit more attention, use your emotional intelligence and it will pay dividends.

Of course it's more complex than that and you'll have your own uncertainties.  How can you be that rock of support and leadership when you're not sure if you're doing the right thing?

So here's an extra tip for you - appoint a coach because now is the time when they come into their own.  Now, more than ever you need someone who can provide you with a protected space where you can explore the complexities of things to come, have accountability and focus on what's important for your business so you can ride the waves of turmoil in the months and years to come.