"Managers are Appointed, Leaders are Elected"
When the idea first came to me to write a post using this title I wanted it to be profound, pithy, memorable and certainly tweetable! What I found in trying to write the piece is the words in the title so say it all that there seems to be almost no need for further explanation! Rats! Not much room for pithiness but it is a great title so allow me to illuminate where no explanation is required.
Intuitively you probably agree with the quote used here. The words are those of Ian Tyler CEO of Balfour Beatty, an international construction contractor. The context in which I encountered these words was the 2010 IBM Global CEO Study: Capitalizing on Complexity. I downloaded a copy of this study shortly after reading about it in a post from Sharlyn Lauby, The HR Bartender, on March 6th.
It is always interesting to me what different perspectives come from readings of the same material by a diverse set of eyes. Me, my eyes are always tuned to picking up insights into patterns companies have developed that unwittingly undermine their expressed intentions to encourage a highly engaged workforce. Ian Tyler’s words struck me as the kind of obvious wisdom almost any manager would agree with then quickly launch into one of those “…wouldn’t it be great if we lived in a perfect world, one that allowed us to choose just the right people for management, blah, blah, blah.” Nothing discounts profound knowledge faster than a “Yeah but…”
It is certainly a matter of picking the right people for management but what does that mean? What are the criteria that indicate the greatest chance of success? I’ve lost track of the number of companies that complain about the quality of their managers when they really mean they are missing leadership. When asked, these same companies will answer sheepishly that they usually find themselves selecting a top performer for the vacant manager spot or the most technically knowledgeable candidate available so they will have someone filling the spot, since as we all know if the employees don’t have someone watching them they will run amock or just sit at their desks idly.
Are there some companies that do a solid job, certainly, and based on my experience they seem to be few and far between. Why else would “My Manager” be among the top reasons cited for employees leaving their positions voluntarily? In my career I can count on one hand the companies I have encountered where managers told me they felt well prepared before they received their first management assignment. The number of companies that do a rigorous job of succession planning for first management positions may be more numerous than my experience would indicate.
However, when it comes to leadership, managers who have an understanding of how to become not only a leader of the people they manage but also among peers and superiors… I think the recognition that their position as leader is granted by their audiences is truly rare.
Case in point: I interviewed a young manager last week who I was told by superiors was struggling to find a leadership voice. It didn’t take me long in the conversation to establish that this was an exceptionally bright young person who one day may well become both a solid manager and a good leader. But not yet! In a period of maybe thirty minutes the young manager provided at least five examples of personal brilliance and frustration...if people would just listen to them…it was sad! I left recommending an immediate coaching engagement, if not with me certainly with someone else because this situation already smelled of burn out and it had only been 11 months since the appointment had been made. Too bad, really smart person, really passionate person, I hope this turns out for the best.
To just wrap this up quickly for now I suggest you might want to refer your managers to this little piece I found while searching last night. It is called Connecting as a Leader and it was written by Ivy N. Carter. It is a sweet little bit of personal wisdom and experience that I am sure almost any manager would benefit from.
- Are you trying to lead without preparing your audience?
- Do you know someone who is struggling because they think their title confers leadership on them?
