Category Archives: Leadership

Drawn to Leadership

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Shannon was staring at her desk. She didn’t look depressed, but certainly not happy.

“What’s up?” I asked, trying not to sound like a Budweiser commercial.

“Not much,” she replied. “I was really ready to come back to work from the holidays, but yesterday was a barn burner. Ever since I was promoted to manager, things have been different around here. It was so much simpler when I just came to work and punched a clock. Most of the time, it’s great, but there are times when things are just so frustrating.”

“So, why did you want to become a manager?”

Shannon furrowed her brow. “I don’t know. I just got promoted.”

“Why didn’t you turn it down?”

“I never thought about. It was a promotion, I got a raise.” I could see in her face that she had never explored this question before.

“That’s the reason most people become managers,” I said, “for the money. But if that’s the case it never lasts. The second reason is ego, you know, all the authority to push people around. But that doesn’t last very long either. Management is hard work, times get tough and if you are going to survive, you have to discover why you are drawn to be a leader.

“Think about it. I will check with you tomorrow, to see what you have discovered.”

And so I left Shannon to struggle with the same question I am asking you. Why are you drawn to be a leader? -TF

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Not Carrying the Load

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From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:

I’ve been in my position as a manager for the past year and a half. Over time, I have noticed that one of our supervisors always seems to do his own thing and doesn’t conform to all of the company’s policies. He has been with the company since it started and has a wealth of knowledge about our industry. Yet, he refuses to help train new employees or take on a larger work load. This causes problems with the other supers who feel their work load is too heavy. A month ago, I inherited this situation. His former manager never confronted him so he feels like his behavior is normal and that no change is necessary. What can you suggest to help this situation?

Response:

The inattention from his former manager has placed you in a tough position, but that’s nothing new. Management is all about the reality of behavior. I know you want him to either shape up or ship out, but the downside is the loss of tribal knowledge, continuity of service to customers, having to recruit and train a replacement. Before I respond, why don’t we let some others take a crack at this. If you have some advice, let’s hear it. Post a comment.

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Pulled Toward the Flame

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So, here I comfortably sit, listening to this unexpected story. Rose lives halfway around the world, in a culture that is unfamiliar to me, yet her dilemma is like many I hear about every day. Life is uncertain. Many decisions, we can only judge in hindsight. Rose was both excited and apprehensive.

“I do understand that if I were to take up this new job, it would be a fantastic stepping stone for me into management level as compared to my current position. It is like Pandora’s Box. There is no absolute gain by taking up this new position. I would be doing everything, overseeing the production team, marketing the product lines, diversifying the brand. Yes, it would be extremely exciting, maybe too exciting. As the days pass, I’m finding more and more reason for not taking this job. Perhaps, I should just stay put in my comfort zone. Why do I have to go through this kind of dilemma?”

So, here is my question to you. If management is a social act, why did you decide to take on the responsibility? What is it about management that pulled you toward the flame? -TF
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Something About Rose

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I spent the past few days thinking about Rose. This past March, Rose became one of our Malaysian subscribers to Management Skills Blog and wrote to ask for help.

“A very good day to you Mr. Tom. I am looking to join a new corporation as a Business Unit Manager here in my country of Malaysia. Prior to this, I’ve had ten years of working experience, both in sales and production. Currently, I’m studying for my MBA.

“I was approached by the Unit Manager of a company to take over her post when she opts for retirement at the end of this year. She has actually done a good job in establishing the brand name of the company in its niche market. My job is to bring the business to a new level, through differentiation into new market segments, and find leading franchise opportunities to expand our reach. At the same time, I’ll oversee operations as well. I’m already feeling nervous now. My experience was in industrial sales, and now, I find myself taking up something really new to me—a management job, building a franchise for this business. I’m scared that I may not deliver although I never promised miracles during my interviews.”

Over the next few posts, I will tell you the story of Rose and the decisions she made. By the way, she took the job.
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Publishing note: Beginning today, we will publish three times per week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

A Discipline of Mastery

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“It sounds too simple,” protested Emily. “People do things because they can? It sounds like circular logic.”

“It is what it is,” I laughed. “Emily, think about it. If you do not have the competence to perform a task, what is your confidence in your ability to perform?”

“You mean, if I can’t sing, I don’t sing?”

“Right. Why don’t you sing?”

“Well, I really am not a very good singer, so except in church (where I am a virtuoso), I am embarrassed to get on a stage or behind a microphone.”

“Fear drives a lot of behavior. It is a very powerful emotion and prevents us from much achievement. But competence trumps fear. That is why competence is a critical link in success.

“Incompetence creates most failure. But most people want to blame their failure on some external circumstance. Most people are unwilling to see their own incompetence. Most people are unwilling to look inward for the key to their success.

“Success is a discipline of competence. Success is a discipline of mastery.” -TF
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Podcast Alert
If you have are a listener, check this interview out.

Because They Can

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“Emily, why does a race car driver press the metal in excess of 200 mph to win a race?” I asked. We were talking about habits and how habits create outcomes. “Why does a singer perform on stage? Why does an ice skater reach their peak in international competition? Why does a manager manage?”

Emily knew there was a very specific answer to this question, so she waited.

“They all do those things because they can. They have spent great periods of their life creating the habits to support the skills that drive them to the top. They reach high levels of competence because they practiced, tried and failed, gotten better and practiced some more, with a discipline to master those skills. They perform at a high level because they can. The great numbers who have not mastered those skills, who are not competent, were eliminated in the first round.

“Those who achieve mastery are a select few. And that includes effective managers.

“It is a discipline of habits to achieve competency. For a manager, these habits support the leadership skills necessary to be effective. And that is where we will start.” -TF

Choosing Outcomes

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“It’s an inward journey.” Emily and I were talking about her next level as a manager. “Emily, you have the desire to move, but desire alone is not sufficient.”

Emily shifted to the edge of the chair. Anticipation. “Okay, I’m game. I want to be able to make things come out better, make my team better, make myself better. I want to make a difference. I want to change the outcome.”

“Emily, we don’t choose the way things turn out. Our habits do. And we choose our habits. If you want to know how to influence others, you have to first understand how you choose your own habits.” -TF

Difficult to See

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Emily nodded. “I think I am ready.” We were talking about her dissatisfaction with the way things were going for her as a manager. Not that they were going badly.

“Sometimes, I think I have to force things,” she said. “And forcing things doesn’t last long. I want to know how I can get people to perform, to perform at a higher level.”

“You want to know how you can cause people to change?”

“Yes, that’s it. Exactly. How can I get people to perform better, to stay focused, to pay attention, heck, just to show up on time would be nice.”

“So, Emily, when you look at yourself, how easy is it for you to make changes about your own life, your own work?”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” she replied. “Things are pretty well with me. For the most part, things are under control.”

“Interesting,” I said. “We think we have the ability to cause change in other people when we have great difficulty seeing the need for change within ourselves.” -TF

The Student is Ready

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Emily was ready. She was promoted to manager two years ago and her performance was above average. “I am ready for the next level,” she said. “I am not satisfied with things. I know there is more to being a manager than management. What is the difference between management and leadership?”

I hate that question.

I hate the question because it appears to promote a difference. In the end, to be a successful manager requires leadership. While we talk about the difference, the purpose of that conversation is integration. Successful management requires leadership. Leadership is necessary.

“Emily, you have been a manager for a couple of years, now. What exactly, are you dissatisfied about?” I asked.

“There are times, when it seems, I am only able to get people to do what I want by forcing them to do it. By being a bully, or threatening. Not directly threatening, but, you know, do it or else.”

“And how does that work?”

“Not well,” she replied. “I may get some short term compliance, but as soon as I leave the room, it’s over.”

“Emily, the pressure that people are not willing to bring on themselves is the same pressure you are trying to tap into. If they are not willing to bring it on themselves, what makes you think you have the ability to overcome that?”

“But that’s my job, isn’t it?”

“Indeed. And managing your way to it, will get you where you are today. Leadership is a different journey. And I believe you are ready.” -TF

The Fix

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Kyle was listening, but not sure if he liked what he heard. He wasn’t happy with his team, but it was working exactly as he had designed it. I had suggested the fix was not to work on the team, but to work on the person who designed the team.

“Your team will perform, for better or worse, based on who you are as a leader,” I suggested. “It will not perform better because you are able to fix something gone wrong, or able to decide how many units to produce today. Your team will perform based on who you are.”

“Who I am?” asked Kyle.

“Yes, Kyle. Who are you? Where are you going?” -TF