Manage to Lead

Building Blocks for Leadership Success

ISBN: 979-8-3509-9183-3
Verlag: BookBaby
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 144 Seiten

Reihe: Manage to Lead

This book attempts to break down leadership concepts into an easy-to-follow, repeatable strategy for managers at any organizational level. The authors begin by addressing a recent trend in academia and social media to diminish or eliminate the idea of management and accountability. They hold this trend to be misguided and flawed. The book's central premise is fairly straightforward, to become an effective manager you must master fundamental management skills. The eight chapters go on to outline the most important ones and the aspects of hiring and managing they address. The work's foundation, so to speak, is the principle that while excellent work may be outwardly visible (extrinsic), excellent results are rooted in the individual's work and intention (intrinsic). Moreover, seeking to inspire without earning the respect of the team is futile. Both while hiring and leading, the actions must be fair and ethical, to provide the most value to stakeholders. The authors explain how it is essential to ensure maximizing productivity while nurturing the team's creativity and problem-solving ability, and that managers should strive to be the kind of leader who accepts responsibility for the team. There is also a word of caution against confusing accountability for micromanagement, at the expense of employee autonomy and overall productivity. The book explains why a great manager's role is to create an environment conducive to business success by finding the right people for specific jobs, empowering them to perform, guiding them in executing tasks, and recognizing accomplishments. The chapters also offer pointers to successfully fulfilling these managerial responsibilities by building the right team. There's even a simple formula in the form of an equation for maximizing leaders' effort, and the authors explain the significance of each element therein toward achieving the goal of all management and leadership: Excellence.

Hunter has been published over 30 times in various industry publications, holds numerous patents for his work as a technologist, has spoken and trained for decades at a variety of technical and leadership conferences and seminars, and is passionate about sharing our experience and philosophy in management and leadership with the world.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Hunter

Leseproben

Chapter 1:
Foundations in Management and Leadership

Core Philosophy

This book presents simple concepts and philosophies, starting with our core working philosophy as leaders. Our philosophy is simple: we have a moral and ethical obligation to provide the best service and project delivery product to customers, business partners, team members (including contract and full-time employees), stakeholders, and shareholders within legal and moral boundaries. This is our mission.

In essence, our duty is to create the most value for the business. In Chapter 2, we’ll explain the concept of “creating the most value” in more detail. “The business” comprises three main components: stakeholders, customers, and employees. These three elements are like the legs of a tripod; if you focus too much on one and neglect the others, the business becomes unstable. Numerous cautionary tales from the business world underscore this truth.

The first objection to the idea of “creating the most value” often refers to the fact that it’s centered on the pursuit of money. We understand this point of view. At this point, you may be asking yourself, “Is management really for me?” It’s okay if the answer is “no.” Managing teams is a calling, not a job you take when it’s offered to you or you’ve reached a certain skill level. If you’re not sure if management is your true calling, it may not be the right path for you. Don’t worry; there are many other fulfilling careers out there.

It’s also a good time to think about why you’re accepting a management position. This question is very important. Patrick Lencioni (2020), a renowned author and management consultant, deals with this question in detail in his book The Motive and describes two types of people who take on a leadership position: reward-centered and responsibility-centered. Ideally, we should strive to be the kind of leader who accepts responsibility for the team and follows the principle of serving others.

It’s important to realize that being a leader is more than just doing administrative tasks and occasionally checking in with your team. As a leader, you have explicit responsibility for a part of the business, if not the entire business. Whether you work in a small or large organization, titles like manager, supervisor, director, vice president, or CEO mean that you have been tasked by the organization and its owners to effectively lead that area to maximize value for stakeholders. Unless you’re working for a charity (where the goal remains maximizing value for its beneficiaries), you’ve signed on to this responsibility. When you accept a leadership role, you must recognize that you’re solely responsible for the value your team creates for the business.

In our experience, most managers struggle to lead their teams not because they’re incompetent but because they’re unwilling to take the actions necessary for long-term success that overcomes any institutional or economic obstacles. They lack the discipline to consistently engage in the demanding work required to manage effectively and turn management excellence into leadership success.

Today, especially in work environments, the prevailing opinion is that people would rather be led than managed. The catchphrase “Don’t be a manager, be a leader” is widely used. In more recent articles, the concept of “allowing the team to make mistakes” is used to encourage freedom and creativity. Under the surface, however, this often means reducing team members’ accountability. Accountability is increasingly equated with micromanagement, which misleadingly distorts the true definitions of both terms.

This mentality has led to a culture where people in leadership positions are reluctant to take on their department’s daily operations because they believe any management equates to micromanagement. But this couldn’t be further from reality. Now, let’s explore the difference between micromanagement and management.

Micromanagement versus Management

The term “micromanagement” is defined by various sources as

• “Management with excessive control or attention to minor details” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, n.d.c).
• “A management style characterized by excessive control and attention to small details, often at the expense of employee autonomy and overall productivity” (Kagan, 2022).
• “A management approach where a supervisor closely observes and controls the work of subordinates, often providing excessive direction and involvement in day-to-day tasks” (DiGangi, 2023).
• “A management style that involves excessive supervision and intervention in the work of employees, leading to reduced autonomy and creativity” (Feinstzeig, 2015).
• “A management technique characterized by a leader’s tendency to closely oversee and control every aspect of their employees’ work, leaving little room for independent decision-making or innovation” (Forbes, 2023).
• “Controlling every part of a particular activity or process in a way that is considered unnecessary or too detailed” (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.b).

What similarities do you notice in the definitions provided above? In our opinion, the most significant and apparent similarities lie in the terms “unnecessary” and “excessive.” These terms indicate the existence of (at least) three management concepts: insufficient management, excessive management, and appropriate management. Additionally, it is worth noting Kagan’s (2022) definition, which concludes with “often at the expense of employee autonomy and overall productivity.” We will revisit this point later.

The term “management,” on the other hand, is defined in various sources as

• “The act or skill of controlling and making decisions about a business, department, sports team, etc.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, n.d.b).
• “The administration, coordination, and oversight of activities within an organization to achieve defined objectives and goals” (Investopedia, n.d.a).
• “The planning, organizing, directing, and controlling of resources (people, finances, materials, etc.) to achieve organizational objectives effectively and efficiently” (Harvard Business Review, n.d.).
• “The process of coordinating and overseeing the work activities of individuals and groups within an organization to achieve desired goals and objectives” (The Wall Street Journal, n.d.).
• “The practice of directing and controlling resources to achieve organizational goals and objectives” (Forbes, n.d.).
• “The control and organization of something, especially a business or company” (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.a).

Based on these definitions, management is about having control over something. For our purposes, this means that you have control over the department or business unit assigned to you. It’s clear that excessive control (as found in most definitions of micromanagement) isn’t an ideal management style. But is it possible to have too little control or management? Is there such a thing as “undermanagement?” Popular culture and social media may suggest otherwise, but that doesn’t align with reality.

Ubiquitous Management

Management exists and happens, whether we see it or not. Perhaps you remember a department that thrived without a formal manager or supervisor and achieved remarkable success. We believe that in every such case, there was some form of management for that team, even if it didn’t have its own manager.

High-performing teams are often characterized by the fact that their members have certain characteristics that lead to success. Such a team is likely to be successful regardless of who manages it, so long as it is not micromanaged. In the scenario you’ve imagined, where the department thrives without a formal manager, the team members have likely taken on leadership functions. Exceptional people don’t allow external shortcomings to jeopardize the team’s success. They are proactive in recognizing and addressing shortcomings, either through collaboration or through their own efforts.

Someone in the team probably ensured that timesheets were completed correctly and timely and represented the team in leadership or management circles in the manager’s absence. In addition to other tasks, project updates were likely also passed on to the relevant parties. The concept of team management has persisted throughout and is still important.

You may be asking yourself, “Why do we need a manager when a well-organized team can manage itself?” That’s a fair question. But let’s look at the definition of management and our primary mission (maximizing value). Economic principles show that specialization often delivers the most value for the effort expended. Over time, roles are defined more and more precisely to increase efficiency. When we add self-management to team members’ regular workloads, we compromise efficiency and effectiveness and prevent us from creating the most value. So, the absence of formal management is not a sustainable solution in the long term.

We didn’t introduce managers, supervisors, or leaders just for the sake of it. These roles are there to ensure that a team stays on track and strives for both short- and long-term goals. Experience spanning thousands of years has shown us that every employee, regardless of their role, is human. Humans are imperfect, are...