Prolog
I'd been selected president after only six years of working life. I was afraid—afraid that I wouldn't' be accepted and afraid that would fail. So I began acting the way I thought a boss should act. I straightened my tie and summoned my staff. One after another they trooped into my office, and I issued firm instructions about what was to be done. What I was going through was, no doubt, what most of us experience the first time we find ourselves in the spotlight. I began behaving differently because I was acting out the role I believed I'd been given. I assumed that everyone expected me to be able to do everything better than they could, and that I should make all the decisions. So I tried to live up to these expectations. People began hearing my voice more and more often. I had the solution to everyone's problems—as if I instantly had acquired wisdom along with this presidency. I made countless decisions with very little knowledge, experience, or information. I knew that something was amiss, but I didn't know any other way to run the company. Then, one day, Christer walked into my office. Christer was one of the people who had suddenly been "demoted" by my management style. "What are you doing?" he asked me. "Why do you think you became the boss here? To be someone you aren't? No—you were made president because of who you are!" Thanks to his courage and frankness, Christer helped me discover that my new role did not require me to change. The company was not asking me to make all the decisions on my own, only to create the right atmosphere, the right conditions for others to do their jobs better.
The text above is an excerpt from the book "Moments of Truth" by Jan Carlzon. When I read it, the first time, 35 years ago I thought it was fantastic. Since then, I have read a lot and seen many managers in action, but I still regard this book as an excellent source on Leadership and cutting edge.
The quoted episode above describes, what I think is, a typical leadership behavior. Except that Jan Carlzon was lucky to get honest feedback, and he did also appreciate the input.
The state of effective Management
I have often been struck by the change in behavior from people who get a managerial position. The responsibility seems to affect them more than they are aware of, and they move into a more controlling style. It especially interesting with people who advocate warmly about delegation and trust, but in action, such guiding principles can just disappear.
When looking at research, the prevailing experience of employees is that most managers do not have the talent to manage effectively. Despite the massive information flow on Leadership, bad Management appears to be the dominating rule.
I do think people know a lot about Leadership and how to create a great workplace. Then why do a lot of people and I believe there is such a big gap to fill? How can it be this difficult?
Self-awareness
One of the clearest models to explain how hard it is to understand our behavior is the Johari Window. Few people can appreciate their critical Blind Spot, and it can be hard to get the feedback needed to improve.
A more comprehensive picture of the Blind Spot phenomenon may be found in the research on behavior among leaders and managers conducted by Simon Elvnäs at the Royal Technical High-school (KTH) in Stockholm.
Simon Elvnäs and his group of researchers filmed more than 400 managers on-site in their everyday environment. After that, all films were analyzed and categorized into thousands of different leadership behaviors. The result was astonishing; Managers make the least of what has a positive impact on the organization and what they want to do, and the most of what employees do not need. Simply expressed: executives do not, at all, do what they think they do.
In many cases, the work of Simon Elvnäs has helped managers change their behaviors. It might be a painful experience to watch yourself, but the films appear to provide beneficial feedback.
The power of feedback
I want to mention A 10-Year Study Reveals What Great Executives Know and Do. One of the statement, in this article by Ron Carucci is; "Exceptional executives actively solicit feedback about how others experience them.”
This is one many articles in HBR which is one
Not everyone can have the opportunity to get filmed and scientifically analyzed. Never the less all my sources tell the same: honest and actionable feedback makes the difference. Just be careful; how to give and take feedback is not the easiest thing.
Honest feedback is like a valuable gift you get from someone who likes you. It might sound trivial to ask for feedback, but you cannot merely order a person to give this gift to you. Instead, you have to earn it by opening up show you need the feedback and take care of it. It is especially hard for managers to get the feedback they need since subordinates often have the genius to filter out some criticism.
like jc
This is how to do it
Select a person whom you trust, to be honest, and open to you. Preferably this person has an interest and experience in personal coaching. If not, ask the person to dive into this highly important subject.
Together you should work with your values and principles to set targets for your behavior. The objectives should be able to guide you in different situations where you are involved in your workplace. Ask the person to observe and give direct feedback on how well your feedback is matching your target behavior. Adjust and repeat the observations, and you're on the go!
This is a very effective way to create your mirror on the wall.
Conclusion
Maybe, great Leadership is not about finding people with talent or knowledge. Perhaps it is all about creating a fearless culture where feedback is a natural part.
More information
If you want to dive deeper into interacting with people, I recommend:
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