“Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit.”
—GEORGE CARLIN
YOU CAN REACT in one of two ways to comedian George Carlin’s joke. The not-so-great bosses laugh and nod their heads, accepting his words as the status quo. They’re often heard saying, “Good people are so hard to find.” Or, “I don’t pass out many compliments because when I do, they expect a raise.” Or, “Why invest in training when they’ll leave us in a heartbeat for more money?”
By contrast, great bosses see beyond the intended humor and realize that the problem isn’t with the people, it’s with the not-so-good bosses who lead those people. They don’t accept this sad state of affairs. They’re willing to challenge the status quo. They’re often heard saying, “I’ve got a great team of people and I feel privileged to lead them” and “My people keep me on my toes and make me better.”
A boss that exemplifies this is Trevor Moses of imageOne, a managed print provider. He believes that, as a boss, one of his responsibilities is to develop his people and improve their skills. This makes them more upwardly mobile within his organization, and in the highly unlikely event that his company should close its doors, more marketable when they look for a job immediately afterward.
So, whether you find Carlin’s humor funny or not, you must take responsibility for your people as Moses does and be willing to do something about it.
Great bosses earn the respect of those they lead; they don’t take it for granted. Sadly, too many bosses don’t get it. They think their title empowers them with unquestioned authority to act in whatever manner they deem necessary. These bosses view themselves as kings and queens of their realm. In their minds they rule supreme. This line of destructive thinking didn’t play out well for France’s King Louis XVI. In 1793, after his subjects rose up in revolt, they shortened his inflated ego by about a foot—a head, actually.
In this chapter, we ask you to evaluate whether you’re truly up for the challenge of being a great boss. We will explain that to fill that role, you must:
1. Get it—have the aptitude, natural ability, and thorough understanding of the ins and outs of the job;
2. Want it—sincerely desire the role;
3. Have the Capacity to do it—possess the emotional, intellectual, physical, and time capacity to do the job.
The first two assets—“get it” and “want it” are essential for becoming a great boss. No one can help you “get it” or “want it.” Either you have these two things or you do not. The third asset—“capacity to do it”—can be acquired if you are willing to invest the time and effort to excel in the role.
UNDERSTANDING “GET IT”
You’ve probably worked with people who, despite extensive training, coaching, and time in the position, didn’t have a thorough grasp of their role, the organization’s systems, pace, or culture, or the ins and outs of the job—they simply didn’t get it.
To be a great boss, you must honestly ask yourself if you truly get it—that you thoroughly grasp the job. You must comprehend it so well that there is no question in your own mind or those of your peers and direct reports.
Ken Robinson, in his book, The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything, defines “get it” as follows: “Get it is aptitude; or the natural ability for something. An intuitive feel or grasp of what the job is, how it works and how to do it. Natural feel: biochemistry.”
One great boss demonstrated that he had the intuitive feel for the job when, as general manager, he was deployed by a national retailer to turn around one of its worst-performing stores. After careful analysis, the company had decided to close the worst of their outlets. On that list was a store that had them baffled. Although it was located in an area with plenty of traffic and great visibility, it continually lagged behind other stores in the system.
In a last-ditch effort to turn things around, the company placed this great boss, a manager who “gets it,” in charge of the store. Several weeks later, the store’s sales were making steady upward progress, which delayed the decision to close it. Within a few months, the store was one of the top performers in the system—amazingly, with very little turnover and no additional cost.
When asked how he had accomplished the feat, the manager replied that he simply asked each employee whether he or she was a “box person” or a “people person.” He explained that a box person is well organized and great at keeping things in their place, whereas a people person enjoys engaging customers and meeting their needs. He then assigned people in each group appropriately, allowing them to leverage their individual strengths.
This is a good example of a boss who truly “gets it.” That natural aptitude and ability is fundamental to being a boss. No public relations or marketing efforts in the world would have made a difference in keeping that store open. It required someone who “got” how to lead and manage people in a big box retail store.
Now, with this story in mind, are your actions as a boss showing others that you truly get it? For instance, do you use the same approach to motivate every employee, or do you have a deeper understanding and appreciation of them as individuals? Do you have that instinctive feel for rallying everyone according to the way they work best? Imagine how your employees would describe you to their friends or fellow workers. What would they say?
UNDERSTANDING “WANT IT”
Next, you must ask yourself if you truly want it—that you genuinely desire the job of being a great boss. No one talked you into it or begged you to take it. No one promised you a raise, a bonus, or a company car to entice you. You might have a bad day or two—that’s normal—but the challenges and obstacles energize you. You enjoy overcoming those obstacles. They don’t wear you down.
One of our clients described a former boss who would occasionally ask midlevel managers who he suspected didn’t want it, “Do you have the fire in your belly to lead?” In almost every case that person would answer yes. He followed that question with this statement: “You are telling me you want to lead, but you’re not showing me.” This served as a wake-up call for those managers, a friendly tap on the shoulder to remind them that actions needed to follow words.
John Eadie, founding partner of Covenant Multifamily Offices in San Antonio, Texas, says this about wanting it: “I have had the benefit of great teaching and training throughout my career, but I’ve come to realize that even when people receive great training and have great mentors, unless they really ‘want it,’ those things likely will not stick. It’s gratifying to work with people who truly want it and are willing to put in the effort necessary to achieve it.”
So, do you have the “fire in your belly” for the trials and tribulations of being a great boss? Do your actions show others that you truly want it? As an example, are you willing to go the extra mile to get a project completed on time, or do you leave work early regardless of how it affects your team or customers? Again, imagine how your employees would describe you to their friends or fellow workers. What would they say?
The fact is that many bosses really don’t get it or want it—yet both are crucial. Think about it: you could absolutely “get” the role of being a boss but just not “want it.” Or, you could “want it” with all your heart and soul but not “get it.” In either scenario you’ll never be a great boss. You must “get it” and “want it.”
Assuming that you get it and you want it, the next question is, “Do you have the capacity to do it?”
UNDERSTANDING “CAPACITY TO DO IT”
While not getting it or wanting it are deal killers, some problems of capacity can be solved. If you lack any of the aspects of capacity described next but are willing to invest the time, resources, and energy to gain them, you can become a great boss.
THE FOUR TYPES OF CAPACITY
If you’re fortunate, you’ve worked for a great boss in the past or you’re working for one now, one who probably possesses the four types of capacity to do a great job. You therefore have a role model you can emulate. Now, here’s the question to ask yourself: “Do I have the emotional, intellectual, physical, and time capacity to be a great boss?” Let’s take them one at a time:
1. Emotional Capacity
The heart to feel what others are feeling, the ability to walk a mile in their shoes, to be open and honest with yourself and others, a willingness to be real and connect with others, to be humbly confident, and to be self-aware enough to know how you are influencing people.
2. Intellectual Capacity
The brains to do critical thinking, solve complex problems, predict, prioritize, and plan, along with the ability to conceptualize, strategize, and systematize how best to do things while orchestrating human resources. F. Scott Fitzgerald described intelligence as “the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.”
3. Physical Capacity
The stamina, energy, and tenacity to do what it takes to finish what you start, to “pour it on” when necessary, to devote the time and effort to master your craft, to do the work, and to get your hands dirty when necessary.
4. Time Capacity
The self-discipline to use your time effectively, to avoid the tyranny of urgency, to structure, prioritize, organize, and delegate in a way that frees up and optimizes the most precious resource of all—your time.
If you’ve been in the workforce for any length of time, you’ve probably worked for a not-so-good boss. You’ve witnessed firsthand how a boss who lacks any of the four types of capacity can harm a department or an entire organization. Here are some examples:
Low Emotional Capacity
These bosses are usually oblivious to the signals their subordinates are sending them about how their behavior affects others. At best, they make a superficial connection with their people. They’re not honest with themselves and lack the self-confidence to be open and honest enough to say, “I don’t know, I need your help, I made a mistake.” They’ll take credit for success but avoid accepting responsibility when things go wrong.
Low Intellectual Capacity
These bosses usually lack the ability to visualize an outcome before taking a course of action. They tend to set objectives without anticipating the resources needed to meet those goals. They lack mental agility, overanalyzing some things and oversimplifying others.
Low Physical Capacity
These bosses lack the stamina and energy necessary to see tasks to completion. They rarely leave the office to inspect what they expect. They’re unable or unwilling to do the hard work, to get their hands dirty, or to pitch in when needed.
Low Time Capacity
These bosses are usually a whirling dervish of activity, robbing time from others while using theirs to pursue things that are “in the moment.” They expect others to drop what they’re doing to help them get caught up. They’re usually late for meetings, behind schedule, overwhelmed, and afraid or incapable of letting go.
Although these criticisms sound a bit harsh, they probably fit bosses you know. To excel as a great boss, you must possess all four types of capacity. If you don’t, you must first take stock of yourself to acknowledge anything you need to work on. More than that, you must commit to exerting the considerable effort necessary to develop a capacity that you don’t already possess.
The bosses that don’t get it, want it, or have the capacity to do it are often the root cause of organizational dysfunction and their company’s poor performance. They think, “If those knuckleheads didn’t bang on my door all the time, I’d love being a boss!” Don’t blame the people on the loading dock, or the salespeople, or the technicians. Bad bosses drive their best employees and eventually their best customers away. They feel threatened by people smarter, more capable, or more motivated than them. They run from conflict, unwilling to confront real issues or make unpopular decisions. They’re quick to point out flaws in others while ignoring their own.
If, after reading this chapter, you realize that you don’t get it, want it, or have the capacity to fill the role of boss, do yourself a favor and step down. Do something that truly inspires you. Life is too short to spend it doing something that makes you miserable and leaves you feeling unfulfilled and continually frustrated. Being a bad boss does not make you a bad person, just a bad boss. To paraphrase the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy called him a bad man: “Oh, no, my dear; I’m really a very good man, I’m just a very bad Wizard.” If this describes you, don’t despair. The fact is you do have a God-given skill set. It’s just not as a boss. You owe it to yourself to discover your unique skill set and then pursue it with all your heart.
On the other hand, if you realize that you haven’t been a great boss, but you are ready, willing, and able to become one, there’s still hope. Paraphrasing Pogo: “You have met the enemy and he is you.” It’s time to learn about a powerful tool that will help you get there.