Tag: micromanagement

The Problem with Mandates

The Problem with Mandates

Jon Rennie

There have been more than 15,000 books written on the subject of leadership but, when you boil it down, leadership is about inspiring people to get things done.

Leadership author and speaker Kevin Kruse says that “leadership is a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal.”

As Kruse points out, there are three basic elements to leadership – influence, people, and a goal.

Great leaders know this.

Throughout history, their words have inspired movements.

Think about Martin Luther King, Jr. On August 28, 1963, in front of a gathered crowd of more than 200,000 people, he inspired a nation by his words.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.”

His words and actions motivated millions of people to act which ultimately led to The Civil Rights Act of 1964.  King understood the power of influence. He knew that to inspire people to action, he needed to paint a picture of the future.

A future where his “children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

He knew that when people understand the “why” behind a movement, they would be motivated to act.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the French writer, poet, and pioneering aviator, said, “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

Great leaders inspire action – they don’t force it.

Great leaders inspire action - they don’t force it. Click To Tweet

Many managers, on the other hand, rely on micromanagement to try and get things done. Instead of creating a vision, they “drum up people to collect wood and assign them tasks.”

And if people don’t comply, these bosses rely on threats, intimidation, and mandates to try and force people to act.

The problem with mandates is that they don’t work – they don’t inspire action.

They are the last resort for a manager who has failed to make a compelling case.

The problem with mandates is that they don’t work - they don’t inspire action. They are the last resort for a manager who has failed to make a compelling case. Click To Tweet

It’s like a frustrated parent who says, “I’m your father that’s why” or “If you don’t eat your dinner, you can’t go out and play.”

Instead of compliance, mandates create defiance.

When a boss fails to establish a vision of the future or properly explain the “why” behind their new rules, people are not moved to action. Most will push back.

It’s human nature not to follow someone if you don’t where they are headed.

It’s human nature not to follow someone if you don’t where they are headed. Click To Tweet

This week has been filled with news of mandates and consequences for non-compliance. I’m not an expert in politics or infectious diseases, but I know people. I know they don’t like being told what to do especially when they don’t see a clear vision of the future.

Will there be some compliance with these mandates? Sure. But I think there will be a lot more defiance.

This is not a political post, this is about leadership and you need to consider it as it relates to your own leadership story.

Are you inspiring people to action? Or, are you mandating compliance?

If you want to create a movement, you need to inspire people with a vision of the future that they all want to be in.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was probably the greatest example of a leader who embraced this idea. We could all learn a lot from his example.

If you are interested in learning more about how to inspire a workforce, check out my new book, All in the Same Boat: Lead Your Organization Like a Nuclear Submariner. 

[Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images]

The Problem With Extremes

The Problem With Extremes

Jon Rennie

You probably know who Jocko Willink is.

If you don’t, you might be living under a rock.

He’s a highly decorated retired Navy SEAL who commanded SEAL Team 3’s Task Unit Bruiser in Iraq. He’s also a leadership author, consultant, speaker, and podcaster.

He’s famous for posting pictures of his watch at 4:30 in the morning from the gym.

What you probably don’t know if how much Jocko and I have in common.

We were both Naval Officers.
We both have written best-selling leadership books.
We both have podcasts.
We both get up ridiculously early in the morning to workout.

But that’s where the similarities end. Jocko is truly a phenomenon. He’s a force of nature.

His leadership books dominate the best-sellers list.

He does an amazing job breaking down the leadership lessons he learned in the military and how they can be applied to every organization.

His 2018 leadership book, The Dichotomy of Leadership, really got me thinking about leadership balance.

Before this book came out, I had written several articles on micromanagement and the problems associated with it. I had also written about the problem of absent leaders – leaders that just weren’t involved.

Jocko’s book made me realize that both micromanagement and absent-management were extremes of the same leadership characteristic – management involvement.

Both micromanagement and absent-management are extremes of the same leadership characteristic – management involvement. Click To Tweet

In my career, I have worked for both micromanagers and absent managers.

Each of these managers took their level of involvement to an extreme (too much and too little) and, in each situation, it led to my frustration.

And, therein lies the challenge of leadership, finding the right balance.

The quest for balance doesn’t just relate to leadership involvement either, it permeates every aspect of managing people.

Think about these other leadership dimensions:

Emotion – If a leader is too emotional, there is unnecessary drama in the office. If a leader is emotionless, the organization feels cold and callous.

Risk tolerance – If a leader is too aggressive, the organization might cut corners and have a major failure. If a leader is over-cautious, the company may miss out on important opportunities by moving too slow.

Personality – If a leader is too nice, poor performers are rarely disciplined. If the leader is too mean, a toxic environment can exist that affects overall morale.

In almost every leadership dimension, acting in an extreme manner is a problem.

In almost every leadership dimension, acting in an extreme manner is a problem. Click To Tweet

Jocko explains that “Just as discipline and freedom are opposing forces that must be balanced, leadership requires finding the equilibrium…between one extreme and another.”

Finding the right balance is just one of the many challenges of leadership.

You need to be aware of extreme behaviors that can lead to organizational problems. Don’t be that leader who micromanages his team, but don’t be a disengaged leader either.

Both extremes will frustrate your team.

Ask yourself – are you acting in an extreme manner in one or more leadership dimensions?

Find balance and you’ll be a more effective leader.

Find balance and you’ll be a more effective leader. Click To Tweet

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By the way, If you want to get more out of your daily commute, listen to my podcast, Deep Leadership.  It’s available on all podcast apps.

And my best-selling leadership book, I Have the Watch, is also available on Audible for your commuting pleasure.

Finding the Right Leadership Balance

Finding the Right Leadership Balance

Jon Rennie

I once had a boss I secretly nicknamed “TQ” which stood for “Twenty Questions.” The reason he earned that name is that every time we met to review the progress of the business he would ask me at least 20 questions about everything I was working on. He micromanaged every aspect of my responsibility and I hated it. It felt like he didn’t fully trust my decisions. He was way too involved.

On the other hand, I had a different boss who was completely disengaged. I rarely heard from him unless something went wrong and he never visited my location or met with my teams. He was aloof and disconnected. He had no idea about the daily challenges and successes of our operation. It felt like he didn’t care and that our team wasn’t important to the company.

Both leaders had taken their level of involvement to an extreme and, in each situation, it led to my frustration.

Therein lies the challenge of leadership, finding the right balance.

The quest for balance doesn’t just relate to leadership involvement either, it permeates every aspect of managing people. Think about these other leadership dimensions:

  • If a leader is too emotional, there is unnecessary drama in the office. If a leader is emotionless, the organization feels cold and callous.
  • If a leader is too optimistic, the company is overly aggressive and misses targets. If a leader is too pessimistic, the organization never pushes to new levels of performance.
  • If a leader is too aggressive, the organization might cut corners and take too many risks. If a leader is over-cautious, the company may miss out on important opportunities for fear of failure.
  • If a leader is too nice, poor performers are rarely disciplined. If the leader is too mean, a toxic environment can exist that affects overall morale.
  • If a leader is too knowledgeable, the team depends on them for all the answers. If a leader has only a limited understanding of the business, there is a lack of respect and the possibility that people could take advantage of the situation.

Finding balance as a leader is critical but determining the right balance in every leadership situation is difficult. It requires self-awareness and a willingness to listen to constructive feedback. Leaders who are looking for balance need to have an empathic ear to listen to employee’s concerns. They need to be sensitive to areas where they may be acting in an extreme manner.

The challenge of finding leadership balance is being addressed head-on in a new book called The Dichotomy of Leadership which was just released this month. It is written by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, two combat Navy Seal veterans who wrote the New York Times bestselling book, Extreme Ownership. In this new book, Willink and Babin discuss how to find a balance between the opposing forces that pull leaders in different directions. They introduce a new approach, based on their combat experience, to help leaders recognize and attain the right leadership balance.

Willink and Babin created a list of 12 leadership principles they used with success in the Iraq War. Each principle has a qualification that may seem to be conflicting until you understand the concept of leadership balance. For example, “a leader must lead but also be ready to follow” and “a leader must be confident but never cocky.”

Willink explains that, “Just as discipline and freedom are opposing forces that must be balanced, leadership requires finding the equilibrium in the dichotomy of many seemingly contradictory qualities between one extreme and another.” By being aware of these contradictions, a leader can “more easily balance the opposing forces and lead with maximum effectiveness.”

Finding the right balance is one of the many challenges of leadership. Leaders need to be aware of extreme behaviors which can lead to organizational problems. Don’t be that leader who micromanages his team, but don’t be a disengaged leader either. Both extremes will frustrate your team. Find a balance that works and you’ll be a more effective leader.