eLeadership

Leadership is the art of getting
someone else to do something
you want done because he wants
to do it. – Dwight Eisenhower

Being a leader is not about being a messenger!

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How many of us have had managers like this?  Managers that believe that ordering people around is a great example of leadership.  Often times I see managers define good leadership as someone who is firm, direct and able to order others around.  This type of leading only creates puppets in the workplace.  Listen, I have seen this type of delegation way too many times.  Managers constantly complain about staff not taking ownership of their work, not being passionate about what they do, and not giving the details of the job the attention it deserves.  Why is this? 

Being a leader is not about being a messenger.  Being a leader is about being the message you want others to be. 

Managers must create engagement by creating the culture they want to see.  How do you create this type of environment?  It starts with looking at the man in the middle…YOU.

Today’s generation of men and women in the workplace want to be inspired by something more than work tasks and deadlines.  They’re not interested in working long hours for a manager that is not motivating.  They want managers who are passionate, authentic, energetic and empathetic.  Don’t get me wrong…staff need to be monitored and managed with a structured environment with boundaries.  But they also need something…a cause personally or professional. Employee ownership only comes from being inspired by what they see in the leaders and the message that is consistently conveyed by the company. Staff also wants a manager that is driven by honest and transparent intentions, share in the weight of maintaining the success of the office.