Not only did Henry VIII behave as a spoiled, petulant child, but his ego-driven decisions almost destroyed the finances of his kingdom. Ummm. How does your “kingdom” look these days? Are decisions made for personal gain or for long-term responsibility to those served?>
So check your ego at the door and do the opposite of Henry.
(1) Only make commitments you can keep. If mitigating circumstances arise that impact those commitments, communicate honestly and tell your employees why. Perhaps you can honor your promises in increments if some factor is keeping you from honoring the promise in full.
(2) Ask for advice and listen. Don’t fire or banish someone to the file room because their advice does not please you. Talk to down line employees to get their on-the-ground report. They might have an insight that eludes even the most highly paid manager on your team.
(3) Take responsibility for your decisions and actions. Learn to say “I’m sorry” and mean it. No one expects company leaders to be perfect but they do expect them to be honest. If there’s pain in the mistake, the leader should bear the most.
How slow we are to learn from the life of a man who continues to be portrayed in books, plays and television shows. We’re seeing too many modern day “Henry’s”–of both genders—in corporate and governmental arenas. Maybe we should reverse King Henry’s actions and declare, “Off with their heads!”