October-November 2006 Issue

	January-February 2007

Become A Better Leader & Manager

By George Burk

Managers manage things; leaders lead people.

Do you have the desire to become a better boss? An effective first step it is to support your employee’s ongoing learning and growth, says executive coach Sharon Jordan-Evans. This is arguably the most critical key to employee retention.

“People today are saying ‘teach me, grow me, and if you won’t teach me and grow me, I’ll go someplace else,’” Jordan-Evans said. “Find out what workers want to learn and how they want to grow.” Individual Development Plans (IDP’s) are an effective tool to help managers and leaders assist the employee plan their educational training and career path. Or as songwriter Stephen Sondheim put it, “White. A blank page or canvas. So many possibilities.”

Give them opportunities to not only move up, but also to move laterally into other positions that interest them. Here are some other ways to become a better leader and manager:

Demand honest feedback. The best rule you can set for your employees? “Never let me make a mistake.” This means encouraging total candor from your team, says Jeffrey Fox, author of “How to Become a Great Boss.” To be effective, honest feedback must also be timely and relevant and relate directly to the employee’s duties. “Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes,” said the Chinese philosopher, Confucius.
Demand loyalty. Many people would like to be loyal to organizations but can’t find a reason to be loyal. Give them reasons. People will be loyal to a great boss, great team; but they have to get what they need. Once you’ve asked what employees want to learn, ask what they want from their jobs in general and what it will take to keep them. Also ask what would entice them to leave. Loyalty is a two-way street. Demanding loyalty is only one part of the equation. It's like respect and integrity: if you demand (expect) it, you must be willing to give it in return. If loyalty is what you want, then show loyalty to your people.
Reward employees creatively. Give surprise bonuses to high achievers ... or those who’ve worked hard to bring projects in on time. Bonuses can range from cash awards to gift certificates and beyond. The types of awards are only limited by the boss's ingenuity and innovation.
Ensure a great environment. Give employees the freedom to have fun, and provide an environment where information is shared freely and regularly. “Younger people, who are information junkies, demand it,” notes Jordan-Evans, author of "Love it, Don’t Leave It." Artist Pablo Picasso noted, “I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”
Realize you get what you inspect (and expect). Setting expectations is important, but so is following through to make sure the work’s getting done. “Your inspection cannot be intrusive or interruptive. It’s not an interrogation. Simply ask, ‘How are you doing on such and such?’” Fox said. This helps employees understand your priorities and gives you a “heads-up on developing challenges.”
Remember 7's hire 5's. Incompetence creeps into an organization when they hire average managers. Fox defines average supervisors as those scoring a 7 on a 10-point ability scale. Are you one? A good way to find out: look at the people you hire. The problem is 7's tend to hire 5's, not 9's or 10's. They don’t hire people better than themselves because they’re afraid of being shown up. Top leaders and managers usually hire 10's because they expect competence. They’re not threatened by it. “Ain’t no man can avoid being born average, but there ain’t no man got to be common,” said the great baseball player Satchel Paige.
Invest your time with the best. Fox’s formula: Spend 60 percent of your training time with the superstars, 30 percent with high-potential workers, and 10 percent with low performers. When dealing with superstars, leaders (and managers) often think they want left alone. The superstar (might) be independent, but he also wants a great boss in the action as an advisor. “The real leader has no need to lead; he is content to point the way,” according to novelist Henry Miller.

I’ve said it many times in my articles and at speaking engagements: If you choose not to lead yourself, you can’t lead others. Great leaders know who they are, where they’re going, how to get there, and who will be on their team. They have a vision for the future and are passionate about it, sharing whenever they can and with whoever will listen.

Effective leaders and managers are internally focused, driven by a set of core beliefs they know work. They aren’t externally focused, basing their decisions on what’s popular, in vogue or by polling. They’re open and vulnerable; they take what they do seriously, but don’t take themselves too seriously. They have learned to laugh at their foibles and surround themselves with people who compliment their skills. Finally, great leaders and managers possess what I believe is the most important and indispensable trait — integrity. It matters not how much you make, your job title, the type of car you drive, and other materialistic things. If you can’t be trusted, if you have no integrity, you are "naked."

2007 speaking schedule:

28 January: Boys Team Charity (Nat’l Charity League), Phoenix, Ariz. (pending)
6-8 February: Capstone Character Excellence Seminar, U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis , Md.

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