People who are managers are given a responsibility of those who report to them and caretaking of the organization. You wield power over a large aspect of most people’s lives. You have the ability to inspire, encourage, coach, direct, and critique. Being a manager with direct reports is a heavy responsibility, not the glamorous job you thought it was going to be in business school. To be a good one, you need to be good leader, to be a great one, you need to be great person.
There are the moments, when you get to see your team members soar, to jump, to do it despite all the challenges that make all the effort worth it. And then you know you have helped someone be bigger than they thought they were.
I care about the people who have and do report to me. I care about the team members who work in my organization – their futures, their mortgages, their families, their concerns. I can be too direct, harsh, biased towards my own team and somewhat difficult, but I spend time reflecting about my behaviour and try to make it better the next time. I turn to my managers and mentors for help – and hope I’ve chosen them wisely for my own development – because I want to be a great manager. Good is just not good enough for me – or my team members.
It makes me angry when I see or am told stories about how team members are made to feel less than who they are and what they offer by a poor manager. When compassion is not demonstrated along with business acumen, our team sees it, and worse, they feel it! They know it, and immediately react as you would expect – you make them think less, they become less.
A manager who is unable to connect with his team members, unable to see beyond the cost of a salary, slow to apologize, and believe they are the smartest person in every room will not make a positive impact
I am angry that these soulless managers continue to be allowed to work within our organizations.
The March 31st Extra-Ordinary: I’m going to keep striving for greatness, push for better from me and my team (when I get another one, of course) because I and they deserve it. And if you can’t keep up, well, too bloody bad. Go run a mediocre organization somewhere else.
The Daily EO 