When I first became a manager I had an insatiable urge to be liked by everyone. I was a “Yes” person and struggled to integrate the morale of my teams with the “results oriented” demand. The workplace was becoming hard to manage and I felt like a disaster.
My manager then (and now), and mentors continued to coach me, especially on my situational leadership skills. I took what’s apt on what they excelled at and made continuous improvements. And took tangible actions on self-improvement which was a big investment unto itself.
First, I had to revolutionize in my head that I wasn’t in any popularity contest. Everyone that reports or works with me, does not have to like me. They just had to form an ethos that helps derive a productive work environment that brings the highest business value.
While it is a plus that most love working with me, there were always one or two that would be misaligned because of ideological, creative and ethical differences. In such cases, I equipped myself to insulate the functionally superior team.
Second, in order to get things done and done right, I learned to say “No”. This newfound power gave me the edge to help prioritize motivated team members and collectively remain focused for highest return on investment.
Last, and most importantly, it took me years of practice to let my gut mingle with my inner voice. For the last few, which I consider the finest of my boss years, I’ve had immense joy in instigating teams to their true, best and incredible potential. Nothing can beat that feeling!
A lot is written these days about bad managers, yet there is a gargantuan to be written about my kind and better, that continues to create rewarding organizations, setting a vision for good employees to execute, translating leadership guidance in an inspiring way, and giving a chance for the unskilled to adapt!
QUOTIDIAN BLESSING 