In the introduction, I promised you a map and a compass as you set out on your leadership journey. In this section, let me unfold a map. At this point in our discussion, we’ll only talk in broad strokes. Details will come in subsequent chapters.
To be effective as a manager, there are five foundation stones that must be in place. These constitute your map as shown below.
We will work on one foundation stone at a time from Part Two to Part Six of this book. By the time you get to the end of this book, you will have assembled a powerful array of tools suited for different clusters of situations. For greater versatility, it’s important for you to improvise as you apply them to different challenges.
You have just glanced at the map. Can you confidently navigate yourself to your final destination with only a map? Probably not. You will also need a compass that will help set your bearings and, at various checkpoints, give you the assurance that you’re on the right track.
What might this compass be? Traditionally, a manager’s success is determined by his KPIs or key performance indicators. KPIs invoke quantifiable targets such as sales turnover, productivity improvement or production output. In truth, this is at best a subset of what a manager does. It measures the “what” of managerial work. There is another aspect that is just as important but not accorded the required attention. It is the “how”.
There is a saying that in today’s organizations, the most valuable assets are mobile. They turn up in the morning and at the end of the day, they walk out of the company’s premises. Such knowledge workers have something up their sleeves, so to speak. It is called discretionary effort. They will exercise this discretionary effort and go the extra mile for their employers only when their working environment stimulates them into wanting to do it. Whether such an environment exists can’t be neatly defined in quantifiable terms. If it is there, people can feel it. If it is missing, your KPIs stagnate or take a nose-dive.
Hence, to determine a manager’s success we need to take into account both the “what” of his accomplishments and the “how” of his leadership style. The concept of Key Success Indicators or KSIs embraces both the “what” and the “how.” They may serve as the compass that we are looking for. There will be more in-depth discussion of the importance of balancing the “what” with the “how” in Chapter 4.
Many managers today still go for the “what” as though it is the be-all and end-all. It is quite common to hear organizations being characterized as KPI-driven. Isn’t that what managing is all about, these managers might argue. No, more and more enlightened corporations are reminding their managers. They expect managers not only to deliver business results but also lead their people such that they bring out the best in them.
What KSIs will be appropriate to help you navigate on your leadership journey?
Here are some suggestions pertaining to each foundation stone we spoke about earlier.
Managing Yourself
1. You are aware of your strengths and developmental areas.
2. You are making progress in developing yourself.
Managing Team Members
3. There is mutual trust and respect between you and each team member.
4. Through coaching and feedback, you have raised the effectiveness of each team member.
Managing Teams
5. Talented people want to join your team.
6. Your team achieves and even exceeds business goals on a sustainable basis.
Managing Key Relationships
7. You are able to influence others without formal authority.
8. You contribute towards the larger good of your organization.
Becoming a More Complete Leader
9. You lead by example by consciously balancing work and life.
10. You contribute to your community.
In the preceding pages, I have mentioned managing and leading1, sometimes in the same breath. Do these two words mean the same thing? No, they don’t. So what are the differences? As a front-line manager, you will need to be able to do both, though in different proportions. How much of one and how little of the other depends on the situation that you and your team are in.
Managers focus on the present. They provide a sense of purpose and an environment of stability for their people to work together to achieve meaningful and worthwhile objectives. Leaders look into the future. They scan the environment and seek to reposition their teams to be more effective in addressing challenges that are yet to come.
All organizations need both set of capabilities in bosses at every level. Without strong managers, key objectives will not be achieved. Discipline is lacking and there is no sense of urgency. Without strong leaders, the organizations focus only on the short-term. When the future arrives, the organization will be taken off-guard.
As a front-line manager, you will be doing more managing than leading. As a rough guide, I would put the split as 75 percent managing and 25 percent leading. As you move up, the leadership component will increase proportionately.
First-time managers who succeed possess certain behavioural traits or personal characteristics. These are called enablers. There are also certain traits that inhibit success or even cause career failures. These are called derailers. The list that I have compiled in Table 2.1 is based on observations made by myself and other colleagues over many years. It is important to know what these are.
Table 2.1: Success Enablers & Derailers
DERAILERS |
|
|
♦ Deliver results consistently all the time ♦ Work well with people ♦ Collaborative; able to give and take ♦ Curious and open-minded ♦ Politically savvy ♦ Build network and alliances ♦ Coach and develop people ♦ Able to influence without formal authority ♦ Proactive; always one step ahead ♦ Lead and impact others positively ♦ Communicate clearly and effectively |
♦ Unable to meet business objectives ♦ Poor interpersonal skills ♦ Silo mindset ♦ Unable to learn and adapt ♦ Unreliable/untrustworthy ♦ Talented people do not want to work with them ♦ Difficulty managing upwards, sideway and downwards ♦ Wait for instructions before acting |
♦ There are five foundation stones which constitute the map for your leadership journey.
♦ Key Success Indicators (KSIs) take into account both the “what” and the “how” of managerial work.
Q1: Review the matrix on enablers and derailers. Assess yourself. What are your enablers? Do you have potential derailers?
Q2: In your daily work, what is the proportion between managing and leading?