Page 22 - CareerBootCamp-Brochure2016
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Coach of the A great manager isn’t out to win any popularity Empowerment is not abdication. It’s not dumping your problems
Year: Become the contests. They want to win your trust and respect – on someone else’s plate. Empowerment is structured delegation,
manager every and this is how they do it. being clear on what you expect, keeping close to progress and
team wants being available to support through the difficulties which are
Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comic strip satirising office encountered in any worthwhile endeavour.
Stuart Brocklehurst life, has observed that people frequently tell him how their
manager is exactly like the incompetent Pointy Haired Boss. But Why it’s not about how much you know
Chief Executive, Applegate Marketplace no one ever sees any similarity to themselves.
To be the leader of a team does not require you to have greater
“A great manager inspires our support Good leadership is a hard, and rock-strewn, path to take. It’s knowledge or skills than the members of that team – were that the
and commitment, while not backing clichéd to state that management is not a popularity contest. case, it would be a pretty severe limitation on promotion.
away from hard choices and difficult Yet too many are more concerned with being liked by their staff
conversations.” within the present moment. And by failing to take and keep to What CEO knows more about finance than their CFO, more about
tough decisions, they fail to win the respect and trust of their HR than the HR Director and more about procurement than the
teams over time. CPO? Leadership requires comfort that each member of your team
may well, if you’re lucky, be better at their job than you.
What makes a great manager?
And your job is to help them to perform to their very best.
A great manager inspires our support and commitment, while
not backing away from hard choices and difficult conversations. Leadership is about inspiration. A leader must have a clear vision
They are fair and consistent so their staff know they will be of where they’re going, whether it’s a small team, a department or
treated equally. They recognise achievement and celebrate a whole company they need to take with them. They must believe
individual improvement. that vision.
A great leader cares about each individual’s personal They must articulate it clearly in a manner which is authentic
development and invests in it. Financially, perhaps, but far to them, whether that is quietly one by one or loudly from the
more importantly, invests their time, knowing that the return in conference stage.
greater productivity – in the time handed back as team members
increase their capability – is invaluable. Do this, and your team will believe and engage with your vision, as
you embark on a common journey together.
Teams will back a manager who listens to them. They don’t
expect the answer to every suggestion or request to be “yes”,
but they – we – need to know that we’ll be heard, and paid the
respect of a clear explanation of whatever path is chosen.
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