The first lesson in business is figuring out who you should listen to and who you shouldn't.
Let me ask you something. Would you trust a surgeon who’s never
performed an actual procedure? How about a litigation attorney who’s
never seen the inside of a courtroom? Of course not.
How about if they got good grades in school and could write really
well on the subject? Would you let the doctor use a scalpel on you?
Trust the attorney to litigate a big intellectual property suit?
Probably not.
Likewise, you shouldn’t waste your time with so-called leadership
experts and management academics who have never successfully led a
company or run an organization -- emphasis on the word “successfully.”
The first lesson in business is figuring out who you should listen to and who you shouldn’t.
To me, it’s a no-brainer. If you have a choice, you should learn from
those who’ve actually accomplished what you’re trying to do. That’s
what I’ve always done and it hasn’t failed me yet.
Looking back on a long and eventful career as a high-tech executive
and strategy consultant, of all the managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs
I’ve worked with, certain management qualities stand out. These are the
characteristics that achieve results in the real world.
They hold themselves and others accountable. There are no
absolutes in business. You make commitments, put your butt on the line,
then see how you did. Unless you complete that feedback loop and hold
everyone’s feet to the fire, nothing really counts. Some managers are
fearless in the way they accept responsibility and hold themselves and
others accountable.
They’re not full of surprises. An often overlooked but
incredibly important aspect of management is the simple fact that we’ve
all got issues, some more than others. Sure, we’re all different, but if
you’re overly dysfunctional, if everything’s got to be about you, if
you create more problems than you solve, if you have a disruptive or
abusive management style, you’d better have an awful lot of great
qualities under the hood to compensate, that’s for sure.
They fix things. A big part of running a business or an
organization is troubleshooting and problem solving. One CEO I’ve worked
with for years says that’s what he loves most about his job. Whether
it’s a product, a customer, or an employee, every day brings new
challenges and problems to solve. Every great manager I’ve ever known is
a born troubleshooter and problem solver.
They have a feel for the business. Most managers just put
their heads down and try to be good at their specific function. But the
best managers have a solid understanding of all the key aspects of the
business they’re in. They understand the products, the technology,
market share, sales channels, and how to read an income statement. Those
well-rounded managers make the best executives and business leaders.
They get the job done. Some people just make things happen.
You give them the big picture, turn them loose and stand back. They’re
like machines that are programmed to do whatever it takes to get things
done. And they’ll find a way, no matter what. Those are the kind of
people you want running things.
They manage up and sideways effectively. Lots of managers are
good at what they do, but put them in an organization of any size and
they flop. More often than not, that’s because they’re good technicians
who just want to put their heads down, get things done, and go home. The
best managers know how to communicate and work effectively with their
bosses and peers, how to give them what they need to be successful and
get the same in return.
They’re awesome decision-makers. More than anything,
management is about decision-making. That’s where the rubber meets the
road. The most effective way I know to do that is to ask the right
people the right questions, listen to what they tell you, then trust
your gut and make the call. If you’re right a lot more than you’re
wrong, you’re in good shape.
They’re effective, not productive. We live and work in a
fast-paced, ever-changing, highly competitive world. Maybe there was a
time when process and productivity ruled, but these days, management
needs to be flexible and adaptive. Sure, you’ve got to prioritize, but
once you figure out what needs to be done, it’s generally more important
to be effective than to squeeze every last iota of productivity out of
yourself and your people.
They live for their jobs. The big management fad these days is
employee engagement. But it’s even more important for managers and
business leaders to be engaged, empowered, driven, and motivated. In my
experience, that’s not a given. The best bosses I’ve known all live for
their jobs, so to speak.
They have a sense of humor, humility, and empathy. When we’re
young, we tend to be full of all the self-importance of youth. After
all, children are completely egocentric and none of us grow up
overnight. But time and experience usually teaches us lessons in our own
limitations and fallibility. That tends to infuse a sense of humor,
humility, and empathy, at least in some well-balanced adults who just so
happen to make great bosses.
The thing about lists like these is they tend to be composites of all
the best qualities we’ve seen in ourselves and others. That’s certainly
the case here so, if you’ve got five or six of these qualities, you’re
probably doing fine. But make no mistake. It’s a competitive world out
there. If you want to make it, skip all the inspirational feel-good
fluff and focus on what it takes to succeed -- in the real world.
http://www.inc.com/steve-tobak/10-traits-of-exceptional-bosses.html
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