My wife and I were discussing my blog while we got ready for bed last night. As usual she had some choice pieces of feedback.
"What you need to do" she said "is address issues that everyone has, like: 'What do I do if my boss can't lead?'"
It's hard to know where to begin in addressing this ubiquitous issue. So I've started with the three most common 'leadership' gripes people have about their boss or manager:
1) Lack of direction: "We have no idea where we're trying to get to, or what we're trying to do!"
2) Lack of interest: "She doesn't care about how we're feeling, hardly ever bothers to tell us what's going on and would never solicit our opinions or ideas on anything to do with the business!"
3) Lack of courage to make decisions: "We've got visions and values coming out the wazoo! But no one has the courage to make the decision to actually DO SOMETHING!!!"
What's interesting is that these gripes reflect the three fundamental pillars of good leadership. So, if you recognise yourself in them, here are three tips that will improve your leadership overnight:
1) Dream up an interesting goal: Think hard about what you want to achieve in the next one, two or three years. You spend two thirds of your adult life at work: how about making it worthwhile? If you don't feel inspired by work, how do you think everyone else is feeling?
2) Ask people what they think and feel, then listen: If you want to stun people with your leadership brilliance, sit them down, ask for their opinion, and do something different based on what you just heard! You don't have to agree with everything they say. But you must listen, acknowledge their contribution and try your damndest to do something with it. Make this a habit and you will transform their experience of you as a leader.
3) Make the decision to act: You've got to do something, even if you don't get the outcome you want. Getting things wrong can hurt like hell, but it's a million times better than doing nothing. Internet entrepreneur Charlie Kim told me, "I'd rather start paddling my canoe only to find I was going the wrong way, than stay standing on the river bank scratching my arse". Somewhat more erudite: Goethe said, "Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it."
I've not answered the question I started with. For that, tune into my next blog. For now, ask yourself these two questions:
1) What is it you're not getting from your boss in terms of leadership?
2) What do you think are the reasons for that?
the leadership coach
25 February 2010
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1) I am not getting enough feedback from my boss on where I stand with him. In the year and a half that I have worked for him, I have never received a performance review. Only once I received the comment "I am pleased with your company's results."
ReplyDeleteWhen I probed for feedback on my career perspectives, my boss did not give me his own opinion, but mentioned what somebody else had said, leaving me to wonder whether this was something my boss agreed with or not.
2) I think he intentionally uses this technique to keep his subordinates guessing where they stand with him. The effect is that his subordinates will try to impress him even harder, hoping to receive the direct feedback. I think this technique can work indefinitely.
Dear Russian Banker:
ReplyDeleteYour boss is a little like the father who never openly praises his son or daughter. Yes, they may strive for his approbation. But sooner or later they realise he can't or won't give them what they desire and the technique no longer works.
In my view your boss is adopting a very short-term strategy. He cannot possibly foster the trust required to get the very best out of you or his other reports. It is a strategy designed to make him feel like he has all the power and is in total control. It has nothing to do with getting the best out of his people, or doing the best for the business.
You have my sympathies!