Boss Tip #4 - Monkey See, Monkey Do

Over the last couple of weeks I have received a few emails that have been fodder for future Tips for Bosses. Today’s tip encompasses several of those emails. Remember, if you're not a boss, then send this to your boss. If you are a boss - listen up.

Look at the title again – Monkey See Monkey Do! What more do you need to know? Your people learn from your example. Get it? That’s it. That’s all that needs saying.

However, there are too many bosses out there who are apparently too thick to get this one in a sentence or two, so here comes the rest of the explanation.

Are you in some sort of advisory situation, like a manager, supervisor, Vice President, you know, some kind of power position? If so, name a book on leadership you read in the last ninety days? And that, in one simple question, will illustrate the difference between managers and leaders.

Leaders lead by example. Leaders know that if they want their people to improve, they themselves have to set the bar by leading by example. Leaders will make time to read and improve themselves and show their people that although they too have busy days, there is always enough time for self-improvement.

Managers, however, are so busy making sure that they are needed in their position, that they will spend the better part of their days justifying their position. In other words, they will look like they’re busy, make decisions (when someone else could have made them just as easily) and keep the paperwork flying across their desks (after all, a cluttered desk looks so much busier than an empty desk don’t you think?). Because managers are doing all of these things, there is no time to read – besides, reading at a desk would make a manager look like he or she has nothing to do – their bosses might think so too and replace them with someone who “looks” busier.

So the message that managers send to their people is “look” busy and your job is safe. Not much wonder managers have a hard time inspiring their people to do better.

The message that leaders send to their people is that everyone could stand to improve him or herself - and that includes leaders too.

Now here’s a problem that managers have when they spend so much time trying to justify their position by “looking” busy: they get so caught up in their own heavy workload that they have no time to inspect what’s happening outside their office door (and yes I know managers never come out of their office, they expect people to bring stuff to them). If there’s no time to inspect what happening in the office, then they become less informed of what needs doing and completely ignorant of who’s doing what. At that point, they are no longer leading the team. They are simply a figurehead in-charge.

If this is your office, fire your manager immediately and replace him or her with a leader. Do not subject your entire team to this kind of irresponsible lack of direction and expect your people to perform. Monkey see, monkey do.

There are people on your team who care very deeply for the place they work. A “manager” is only going to mess things up. A manager who is only interested in making sure he or she looks busy is going to sabotage your organization.

When you want to replace your manager, ask this of those in line to replace him or her – “List the books you’ve read on leadership in the last ninety days and give me your brief summarization on each.” You’ll find a suitable and very capable leader within your own organization in short order.

Instigationally,

Kevin

Next Tip For Bosses - The Lunch-Menu Leadership Test