What leadership myth is causing you to fail?
You’ve discovered several. But this one is tricky, because it worked, or so it seemed.
How the Big Leadership Myth Evolved
We promoted you from individual contributor to front line manager because of your technical/functional expertise, and because you got stuff done. You’re smart and a driver.
As a front line manager, you drove hard for results. Once again, you got stuff done, so we promoted you to middle management.
You brought the same driver attitude and behaviors to your new role. But this time you were managing managers. They didn’t appreciate your style. They had already figured out the leadership myth. Driving people hard may deliver results in the short term, but the collateral damage shows up eventually. They understood that people do best when leaders tap into intrinsic motivations. Wally Bock provides a good synopsis on this topic.
Still your driver style worked well enough. Your manager saw that you were getting stuff done. He didn’t realize the full cost – low morale, low engagement. People complied out of fear, but didn’t go beyond what was required. Your solid reputation overshadowed the problems. So, you were promoted to a senior management role, three steps removed from the front line.
Failure Begins
But now, the leadership myth that driving people hard, by itself, leads to success, is leading you down the path of failure.
You haven’t learned how to collaborate with your peers. You don’t develop relationships and shared goals. Your peers give you the corporate head nod, but like your direct reports, they don’t follow up whole heartedly.
Several people have left your organization. People don’t speak up at meetings. You don’t have your hand on the pulse of the organization. No one’s telling you what’s really going on. Something is wrong. But it can’t be you, because you’re doing what you’ve always done, and it always worked.
The truth is, it never worked very well. You were promoted to the next role too quickly to see the collateral damage.
The problem isn’t that you’ve changed. It’s that you haven’t.
You haven’t learned that people do best not when they’re driven, but when they’re inspired, intrinsically motivated, supported, appreciated and developed.
The lie you’ve come to believe is that we continue to value you for having the right answers and for driving hard to get stuff done. You don’t know yet how to achieve goals through others.
What to Do?
Step 1: See clearly that what got you here won’t get you any further.
Step 2: Be willing and eager to learn.
Step 3: Be humble. Admit that you need to do things differently.
Step 4: Ask for help. Find teachers, mentors, role models and coaches.
THEN
- Stop talking
- Ask questions
- Listen well
- Ask more questions
- Read
- Learn what inspires people and do more of that
- Experiment with different behaviors, such as expressing appreciation, asking people about their goals and what motivates them, how you can help them
- When you discover what works, do it more
- When you find out what doesn’t work, stop doing it
- Rinse and Repeat