Leader is a designation that unlike some other titles it is
quite explicit in what the owner is to do. Though their nuances may differ from
position to position, department to department, organization to organization,
the inherent duties of a leader are essentially understood. So why is it that
many who accept the title have such a hard time understanding and executing
that which is expected…required…of them!?
This is not a rhetorical question.
Too often I hear about a boss or manager who is either inept
or purposefully negligent in their duties. These management deviants often
allow the pedestrian to hone their skills of mediocrity while they proceed to
tax the productive with burdensome deadlines and unyielding requests for more.
Further, when pressed to make a decision of consequence with respect to poor or
underperforming employees, they cower and find ample excuses to shun their
incumbent responsibilities.
But the failures of the poor leader don’t end there. No.
What you find with many of these leaders is the tendency to micromanage
situations in a feeble attempt to display control. Their proclivity to focus on
the efforts of the productive employees, examining and commenting on the
minutia and not trusting their skills and competency is mystifying. Juxtapose
that with their inability to see the vulpine, incompetent actions of the
mediocre and the ensuing conundrum can make one speak in tongues perforated
with gratuitous expletives, leaving them dangling at the threshold of insanity.
These purveyors of underperforming teams are masters of the
deflection. They are often mired in perpetual assessment of their team,
erroneously identifying inconsequential issues as the problem, while trying to
squeeze between the 800lb gorilla and the door as they try and make their exit.
From realignments to reclassifications to reassignments, they constantly
shuffle the deck unwilling to address the real issues at hand.
We all know the song and dance by now about how difficult it
is to get rid of a slouch. And yes, we know that the paperwork is tremendous,
placing the burden of proof on the complainant while protecting the perpetrator.
So! You chose the job and, thus, the obligatory duties assigned therein. Wait,
let me say that a different way…it’s your problem…fix it.
If I come to work everyday and do my job, sitting next to a
peer who circumvents every rule, defiles the integrity of every deadline, and
struggles daily with the unfaltering truth that their day is governed by the
same clock as mine, my morale is surely going to suffer. If there is no parity
in our effort or productivity, then there should be no parity in pay or
privileges.
You see, my contention is that there are two major types of inept leaders.
The first is the self-preservationist. This is the leader who has
indiscretions they don’t want exposed. We all know the ones who come in late
and leave early, or the ones playing footsies with someone in the office, being
just about as discrete as a tutu at a cocktail party. Consequently, this leader feigns to be
ignorant of the actions of the slackers, playing the deadly game of you don’t
tell I won’t tell, effectively becoming a hostage to the slouch.
The second type of inept leader is the sprinter. This is the
supervisor that lacks the ability to deal with confrontation. Come on, you know
the one. This is the leader who always has a reason why the guilty should
receive a reprieve. They adjudicate a situation just about as well as our
politicians balance the budget. I call them the sprinter because they always
seem to go the other way when there is a problem. You can never find them when
decisive action is required. And, perchance you do find them, they defer to HR
or some other authority, sighting their lack of knowledge or experience
regarding the appropriate procedures or protocols that govern such a situation.
Really!
Enough! If you have accepted the title of leader and the
inherent duties therein, do them. Presumably you are part of the upper echelon
in the organization and possess the skills and competencies needed to lead.
What you may not understand is that there are certain intangibles that a leader
must possess in order to be effective, in order to be good, in order to be
respected. One of these intangibles is courage. That is, you must have the
courage to follow the same rules you enforce, you must have the courage to
never tolerate blatant insubordination from anyone, you must have the courage
to admit a mistake, and you must never lose the intent or fortitude to execute
the duties of your job with courage. Those of us who follow expect it, demand
it, and deserve it.
There...I said it!
S. McGill
One of the most
powerful things in this word can be obtained and used liberally by anyone who
chooses to use it. “If” can be the beginning of something great or the
acquiescence to defeat. How will your “if” today?
