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| Photo credit: ionut-coman-photographer-459986-unsplash |
This focus on the leader is due at least in part to a flawed belief that people leave managers, which is true to a point. I mean, I’ve left a couple of bad managers myself, but like most easy answers it’s incomplete. Here’s why:
Let’s say
you have a crappy manager in a great company.
If the company’s so awesome except for your lousy manager, you would
probably consider changing managers within the company before leaving entirely. Oh, but wait – you probably wouldn’t have a crappy manager in a great
company.
See where I’m
going with this? It’s the company not
the manager that ultimately drives you off.
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| Photo credit: daniel-cheung-129839-unsplash |
Also, let’s
not forget people also leave companies for bigger jobs or more money, things
even a stellar manager may not be able to provide immediately for the asking. Sometimes a better offer’s just a better
offer.
So, more
precisely, people leave bad managers, they leave companies that tolerate and reward bad managers, and they also leave
good managers and companies for a better opportunity.
Back to
mainstream leadership advice, which I will paraphrase here:
Leaders should be authentic, empathic, and humble; they
should listen, encourage, and support the people on their team; they should invite ideas and experimentation; they should play well with others; they should communicate
a clear vision; they should be available; they should be vulnerable (but not in
a creepy way); they should be professional, results-oriented, and mentally flexible; and they
should help people achieve their personal goals while working toward the strategic
goals of the business.
Good stuff.
But.
At the end
of the day, no one succeeds in isolation and teamwork drives innovation, community
and great culture. That means that one of the most important things managers can do for
their teams is cultivate a safe and inclusive place for everyone to contribute, so they bring
their best selves to work.
That means more
than having weekly team meetings and providing bonding opportunities like team events. It means providing clear expectations about team behavior and recognition for collaborative achievements. It means
empowering people to work together, solve problems, and create an amazing team experience. It also means tending the garden, i.e. hiring people
who will work well with the team and promptly addressing toxic behaviours.
That doesn’t
mean everything’s always perfect.
Sometimes it’s a process.
Sometimes there are growing pains.
Sometimes things take longer. But
the focus is always on making the team better.
Great leaders
come in all shapes and sizes. They may be male or female, introverted or
extroverted, tall or short, chic or shabby, suave or awkward, remote or onsite. However, they’re easy to spot because they have
one thing in common: They lead great teams.
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