Leaders are humans with the same emotions like their subordinates. But leaders are expected use more brain than heart to deliver business results. Every organization has a set of policies, values and work ethics to eliminate the personal biasness of leaders at varying management levels.
Yet, the reality is that some leaders in today’s highly functionalized business organizations try to manipulate rules to be popular among employees for their own survival and to cover up their own weaknesses. Typically these are leaders who do not mirror the behaviour they want in their team members.
Bad functional leaders are letting people get away with indiscipline, laziness, lack of productivity and personal interests to the detriment of the organization. Some leaders are simply unwilling to have the tough conversations with those in their functional groups.
For certain, those conversations are not fun and they are thus often placed on the backburner. Whenever we confront someone with his or her deficiencies, we can be certain there will be negative emotions. Sometimes, it is easier to take the path of the coward and do nothing.
There has been some silly advocacy to focus only on workers’ strengths while avoiding any discussion about their weaknesses. Many leaders have moved towards that approach because it is less confrontational. Those in leadership positions are not there to be nice to bad employees but for the good ones. They are the leaders who are courageous, bold, forthright and honest.
Team members
The organization may have a culture that encourages productive employees to cover for non-productive employees. There is ‘niceness’ in the systems of the organization inhibiting productive employees from confronting the non-productive employees with their failure to carry the load.
As a result, the better workers will pick up the slack for the weaker workers. Sadly, the better workers usually get frustrated with the inequities over time, and this creates a culture of conflict. The organization eventually gets to keep the non-productive employees and the good ones will leave. One of your major responsibilities as a leader is to guide your employees in performing their jobs -- identifying and dealing with issues that deter productivity.
Police yourself first
A compelling leader’s behaviour has an impact on everyone around them and an effective leader is one who inspires his team by showing the way, by his own actions. Model the behaviour you wish to see in others. There is nothing more powerful for employees than observing the ‘big bosses’ carry out the action or behaviour they request from others.
Leadership is one of the most crucial aspects of a company. With the right leadership, your company could encourage and inspire employees to perform amazing feats. Many good leaders could be great leaders if they only recognized their weaknesses. Often, the attributes you consider your strengths - when taken to extremes - become weaknesses.
Act as if you are part of the team, not always the head of it. Dig in and do actual work, too. People will appreciate that you are personally knowledgeable about the effort needed to get the work done. They will trust your leadership because you have undergone their experience.
Do what you say you’re going to do. Ask senior managers to police themselves. They must provide feedback to each other when they fail to walk their talk. It is not up to the second level managers and other employees to point out inconsistencies. Senior managers must be accountable to each other for their own behaviour.
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