There has been a big flap lately around the firing of Mike Price, Head Basketball Coach at Rutgers University and the subsequent firing of the Athletic Director. Even the President of the University came into question.

I am not questioning the firing at all. I do question the “surprise and shock” going on around what happened. This behavior (abusive use of power) by leaders has been going on for as long as I have been around and, I suppose, since the beginning of time. It is visible on the sports scene since there are so many people who pay attention to sports.

It is rare that abuse in the corporate world is news. It goes on and persists because no one wants to be the accuser publicly. In today’s world it could become news through a video on YouTube shot by a student wandering through the gym. The rise of technology (room for abuse here).

I don’t know how it happened at Rutgers. My “take it to Las Vegas” bet is that 1.) it wasn’t the first time and 2.) someone knew who could do something about it and didn’t. The abusive behavior is a flashing red light and a call for help.

The problem with the problem is that the folks who could do something are too busy doing their version of “everything’s fine.” We are more concerned about looking good than we are about the well-being of the leader and the people he/she might coach.

Here’s a leadership lesson for you. There is never an excuse for abusing another person in any way. The leader’s job is to empower. Empower as in communicate that there are corrections to be made and that I as the leader think they can do it. Furthermore, I will be with them every step of the way.

Focusing our attention daily on the people around us and what they need instead of ourselves takes practice. We have to be aware that our basic reactions are driven by survival. It is by-passing the natural reaction and choosing to do what’s best for the people who have given us their trust.

Remember, when you think someone is being a jerk, you may be looking in the mirror.