With management being one of the most studied elements of business, you may wonder why I have chosen to write about Leadership instead? The motivation actually comes from working with and for Managers, who have disappointed me. These Managers focus on performance over people, they seem to loose sight of the fact that, without their staff, there is no business. They rely on their position and the power that comes from their titles, in order to get people to do what they want. They drive performance at the expense of those around them, in order to make themselves look good and for self promotion. The title "manager" also frustrates me. Let me explain… the word "manage" is defined as "control the use, or exploitation of" or "to dominate or influence (a person) by tact, flattery, or artifice." This second definition describes management as insincere. As James Hunter described, Managers, using the old hierarchical management system, have their staff from the neck down. You'll find the staff are not fully engaged and just do what they are told, because someone else is the boss and because they have very little autonomy. This style of management (I really can't call it leadership) belongs in the 70's. The modern employee wants more than a pay cheque at the end of each month. They spend more time in work than they do at home. They need and demand fulfilment from their work. Although, not all jobs may offer them the fulfilment they seek, the culture of the workplace, the leadership style and the people they work with, CAN offer this. Leadership is earned, it is not a title. Many of the best Leaders I've worked with have not been my boss, but I would follow them anywhere. Many Managers I have worked for and with are not leaders at all. Leaderships is defined as "the action of leading a group of people or an organisation" and what I like about this definition is that it implies the leader is followed. If you are a leader and you don’t have anyone following you, you're just out for a walk. In order for people to follow a Leader, the Leader needs influence and influence is built on trust. What makes people trust one another? The only way to build trust is to have a relationship with someone, which means there is an open, honest line of communication. A leader needs to be honest, consistent and they need to spend time with their people in order to develop this trust. They need to show selfless commitment to their staff by being there for them and showing sincere appreciation for what they do and also a genuine desire to help them succeed and grow. This trust, gets people from the neck up (as described by James Hunter), they work with their heads, they will be conscientious and proactive in support of their Leader, because they know their Leader "has their back." Mark Nel gave me a book called "The One Minute Manager," many of you may have heard of it, if not read it. The idea of servant leadership taught in that book and in "How to win friends and influence people" has inspired me to be a better person, and helped me to where I am today. Future blogs will expand on the topic of Leadership, I hope you return to learn more. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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