Rules were made to be canceled, even my own.

I confess I violated my very own anti-rule philosophy, lost my leadership patience, and made a “new rule.”  I hate it when I do that because it is embarrassing when you write a leadership blog and then you screw up and do a poor job leading.

I recently recorded a promotional video for my new book, Celebrating Failure:  The Power of Taking Risks, Making Mistakes, and Thinking Big (shameless plug, but it is finally on sale at Amazon for only $10.19).  I thought I had been doing an adequate job teaching my videographer how much I appreciated having a monitor on the set to watch the various attempts the talent, me in this case, makes at speaking into the camera.  A large monitor is helpful as you can watch what you just recorded and then hopefully make improvements.

But alas my man didn’t bring the monitor to the shoot.  Why?  Not because the monitor is large and heavy and needs a power source, and is a pain in the ass to carry around, and after all you can watch the video playback through a one-inch by one-inch lens on the camera itself assuming you brought a very strong pair of glasses.  Nope, none of those are the real reasons why he didn’t bring the monitor.  He didn’t bring the monitor because I did a lousy job of teaching him how important the monitor can be to the on-camera talent.

I didn’t take the time to show him a before and after and carefully explain how much a monitor can help the talent.  I didn’t take the time to thank him the last time he did bring the monitor and use it as a leadership teaching moment.

Instead I, the anti-rule revolutionary who is working to rid the planet of bad business rules, took the easy way out and simply made a freaking rule to always bring a monitor on video shoots.  Done, we have a rule.  Obey me or die.  And without thinking about my actions I cut into his thinking process.  So if next time we are brainstorming a commercial idea and he comes up with some brilliant idea to shoot in some remote, hard to get to location, with no possible chance for a power source, he just might say to himself before I ever hear the idea, “No that won’t work, that jerk insists on watching everything on a large monitor.”  So perhaps unknowingly I destroyed the idea that may have brought fame, fortune and a few more book sales.

The good news, leaders can cancel rules just as easily as they can dictate them and I did.  Something all good leaders should do to most rules that were created on their watch.

And you still have time to submit the worst company rule you’ve ever heard to my blog and win $50.00 cash and a signed copy of Celebrating Failure.  Brazenly submit the worst company rule you’ve ever heard below in the comments section, or you can send your idea directly to me: Ralph@RalphHeath.com and I will post your worst idea and protect your identity.  One lucky winner will soon be selected to win $50.00 cash and a book that is guaranteed to improve the way you lead at home or at work.