Here is the mystery about leadership: you can be dysfunctional and still be successful. You can operate out of a leadership style that is micro managing, dictating, controlling, yelling, disconnected, or patronizing and still be successful. Sad but true. The problem is that there is human carnage all along the way.

The assumption is that if you are “successful” as a leader that your leadership style must be right. This is why dysfunctional styles of leadership continue. And this is why it is disceptive.

But how do you define success? Common answers are: high sales, good ROI, or a healthy bottom line. Those things are necessary and important because after all, if we don’t have these things we don’t have a healthy business or organization.

But in my book success is gaged not by how much money you make but how many lives you’ve touched. In what way have you and your organization added value to their lives? And by “their lives” I’m not only talking about your customer or guest, I’m talking about those that work along side of you.

The mystery is you and how you see success.