Sustainable Excellence Xtras #67 - The John Wayne Syndrome With Ronna Lightenberg

During Hollywood's Golden Age, John Wayne, was a household name. "The Duke", as Wayne was nicknamed, was the main hero in more than 175 film and television roles for over three decades, and always got his man (and the girl) by the end of the production.

But even John Wayne wasn't John Wayne. He was born Marion Robert Morrison. 

Given a choice, most of us want to do the right thing, even if that right thing means fighting someone else's battles. But should you fight other people's conflicts and do you really expect to emerge victorious from those battles like John Wayne?

In an article in Forbes (Prince, 8/26/2013) there is a 4 -step approach that millionaires use to get others to fight their battles for them:

Step 1 - Identify the people obstructing your agenda.

Step 2 - Pinpoint other people who find your obstacle problematic.

Step 3 - Determine the insecurities and goals of the different parties.

Step 4 - Prompt the parties to battle over your obstacles.   

The office, unlike the movies, has too many variables to know if fighting someone else's disputes, is in your best interest. Most of the time it isn't. But that won't stop others from trying to pull you into the fray, and many times you will want to engage, even if you know you can't win.  

So, is there a general rule or guideline to use when determining if you should get involved in someone else's issue?

Actually there is. Watch the video below to learn from Ronna Lightenberg, in her book, Work Would Be Great If It Weren't For the People,  when it is appropriate to step in and help someone at work and when you should leave the John Wayne Syndrome to someone else.