Empowering and Evaluating Leaders
Abraham Lincoln has left a timeless legacy of thought and philosophy that will exist perpetually with mankind. He is quoted in a leadership quote saying, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
The world of leadership is composed of two actions from a leader that build a foundation for all other things: managing and leading. These two similar, yet diametrically opposed, foundations to leader behavior are critical when considering the empowerment referenced in Lincoln's quote.
A few critical areas must be evaluated when reviewing the potential outcomes of providing someone with power. At times, motivation, initiative and forward-thinking behaviors become cancerous by causing dissension and digression in existing and established workgroups.
Consider these key areas:
1) Motivation
2) Role Expectation and Role Execution
3) Presence
4) Flexibility
5) Temperament
6) Participation
7) Leadership Style
8) Open-Mindedness
9) Stress Level Tolerance
10) Critical Thinking Abilities
11) Ability to Plan and Foresee Outcomes
12) Responsiveness
First, with motivation, potential leaders assuming newly assigned roles in leadership and management roles must exhibit the motivation to not only take action, but to persevere when setbacks and unexpected events occur. Nothing is worse than a leader becoming unresponsive and uncooperative when issues arise. Not only is it extremely frustrating, but also it can radiate through a leadership team and subordinate workgroups. It is during these times that the motivations of upper-level leaders find challenges in pushing what, at one time, was a self-starting leader.
Second, role expectation and execution from the subordinate leader's perspective should be assessed. If a leader assumes a role that completely transforms their behavior from working in previous roles into ‘only' working as a ‘manager', the subordinate manager will need behavioral mentoring and may not be the right choice for a management role. Without a diverse management team, the mentoring needed may be extremely limited due to the manager-to-staff ratios and individual management team member workloads. If workloads can be temporarily shared or delegated, closely guided mentoring may be more realistic.
Third, and similar to the first item, is the level of expected presence a leader may have. If you do not feel as though the leader can be a charismatic, participative leader, then follower advancement and overall development of subordinate groups will be stagnant as development goals suddenly become focused on process-oriented activities. Without presence and guidance, motivation levels of subordinate employees drop significantly over a short period of time. Additionally, employees notice gaps instantly in leadership. I once had a subordinate manager that was a ‘doer' with the personality of a washcloth. He had presence, but his (and I hate to admit) behaviors were extremely annoying to me personally. I maintained a professional relationship with the manager, but the employees reporting to my management team immediately picked up on this…I didn't see it coming. So, bear in mind, no matter what your behaviors ‘in front of employees' is, what they see is clearer than you think.
Flexibility, the fourth item, is similar to the earlier items. If a manager lacks flexibility, followers will be disengaged and unmotivated.
Fifth, temperament is a huge area to evaluate. If a manager draws a hard line on their decisions without considering – or even refusing to listen – to followers, the outcomes can become disastrous. One of the most damaging situations is a leader who believes they should be respected because of their position of authority. Not only is this incredibly disenchanting, it creates a culture of ‘second opinions' and ‘going over their head' as subordinate staff know there is an issue with the manager.
Sixth, and inter-related to many of the others, is participation. Is the manager likely to lead from the front lines? Or, is the manager more likely to give orders in a process-oriented manner from a desk while submerging his or herself in operational and administrative tasks?
Seventh, I've included leadership style. When selecting and assessing subordinate leaders, their style is critical to cultural continuity and growth of work groups. A group of low-skilled or new staff will not benefit from the behaviors of a laissez-faire leader; closer leadership, guidance and mentoring are required, and the manager must deliver in order to maximize the human capital and potential of individuals.
Eighth, and similar to temperament is open-mindedness. Does the leader seek follower input? Does the leader truly consider the follower? A great way to assess this is to recall decisions that were admitted as mistakes, or altogether rescinded. A manager that jumps to conclusions, especially in counseling situations, without reflecting on the outcome is not a good fit for a leadership team. Though decisions may not change or be rescinded, the leader must be willing to admit mistakes while also being willing to have their assessments challenged with the possibility of altering the outcome. Leaders who take a moment to consider employee concerns will likely be perceived as considerate and fair.
Ninth, without necessitating an explanation, is the stress tolerance level of a manager.
Tenth, and inter-related, is the ability to think critically. The best examples, in my professional assessment, are Just Culture leadership and strategic planning. Leaders who consider outcomes as associated with the relative situation will be intellectually stronger. When selecting a leader, the ability to strategically plan out needs and action items is critically important. Managers that fall into the ‘doing' mode for ‘today' will lack the ability to develop in the long-term for advancement and development of operations and the human element.
Next in the eleventh area, the leader must be able to plan ahead in a way that foresees outcomes while anticipating needs of their functional aspects, operationally speaking.
Last is responsiveness. Some managers behave, intentionally and unintentionally, in ways that seem to always ‘miss the point'. For this reason, managers must demonstrate the understanding of objectives, decisions and goals in order to support the leadership team operationally.
The only step remaining is the action of the upper-level manager. Assessing these areas, while measuring the outcomes and consequences of such variables, can reveal opportunities and challenges. But, the assessment is only as valuable as the action taken to change the subordinate manager. This can be done by either eliminating the manager from the management team, developing action plans for development, behaviorally and functionally mentoring the manager, and through training on problematic areas. But, again, the upper-level leader must take action before the behaviors begin to break down the management structure and effectiveness.
The world of leadership is composed of two actions from a leader that build a foundation for all other things: managing and leading. These two similar, yet diametrically opposed, foundations to leader behavior are critical when considering the empowerment referenced in Lincoln's quote.
A few critical areas must be evaluated when reviewing the potential outcomes of providing someone with power. At times, motivation, initiative and forward-thinking behaviors become cancerous by causing dissension and digression in existing and established workgroups.
Consider these key areas:
1) Motivation
2) Role Expectation and Role Execution
3) Presence
4) Flexibility
5) Temperament
6) Participation
7) Leadership Style
8) Open-Mindedness
9) Stress Level Tolerance
10) Critical Thinking Abilities
11) Ability to Plan and Foresee Outcomes
12) Responsiveness
First, with motivation, potential leaders assuming newly assigned roles in leadership and management roles must exhibit the motivation to not only take action, but to persevere when setbacks and unexpected events occur. Nothing is worse than a leader becoming unresponsive and uncooperative when issues arise. Not only is it extremely frustrating, but also it can radiate through a leadership team and subordinate workgroups. It is during these times that the motivations of upper-level leaders find challenges in pushing what, at one time, was a self-starting leader.
Second, role expectation and execution from the subordinate leader's perspective should be assessed. If a leader assumes a role that completely transforms their behavior from working in previous roles into ‘only' working as a ‘manager', the subordinate manager will need behavioral mentoring and may not be the right choice for a management role. Without a diverse management team, the mentoring needed may be extremely limited due to the manager-to-staff ratios and individual management team member workloads. If workloads can be temporarily shared or delegated, closely guided mentoring may be more realistic.
Third, and similar to the first item, is the level of expected presence a leader may have. If you do not feel as though the leader can be a charismatic, participative leader, then follower advancement and overall development of subordinate groups will be stagnant as development goals suddenly become focused on process-oriented activities. Without presence and guidance, motivation levels of subordinate employees drop significantly over a short period of time. Additionally, employees notice gaps instantly in leadership. I once had a subordinate manager that was a ‘doer' with the personality of a washcloth. He had presence, but his (and I hate to admit) behaviors were extremely annoying to me personally. I maintained a professional relationship with the manager, but the employees reporting to my management team immediately picked up on this…I didn't see it coming. So, bear in mind, no matter what your behaviors ‘in front of employees' is, what they see is clearer than you think.
Flexibility, the fourth item, is similar to the earlier items. If a manager lacks flexibility, followers will be disengaged and unmotivated.
Fifth, temperament is a huge area to evaluate. If a manager draws a hard line on their decisions without considering – or even refusing to listen – to followers, the outcomes can become disastrous. One of the most damaging situations is a leader who believes they should be respected because of their position of authority. Not only is this incredibly disenchanting, it creates a culture of ‘second opinions' and ‘going over their head' as subordinate staff know there is an issue with the manager.
Sixth, and inter-related to many of the others, is participation. Is the manager likely to lead from the front lines? Or, is the manager more likely to give orders in a process-oriented manner from a desk while submerging his or herself in operational and administrative tasks?
Seventh, I've included leadership style. When selecting and assessing subordinate leaders, their style is critical to cultural continuity and growth of work groups. A group of low-skilled or new staff will not benefit from the behaviors of a laissez-faire leader; closer leadership, guidance and mentoring are required, and the manager must deliver in order to maximize the human capital and potential of individuals.
Eighth, and similar to temperament is open-mindedness. Does the leader seek follower input? Does the leader truly consider the follower? A great way to assess this is to recall decisions that were admitted as mistakes, or altogether rescinded. A manager that jumps to conclusions, especially in counseling situations, without reflecting on the outcome is not a good fit for a leadership team. Though decisions may not change or be rescinded, the leader must be willing to admit mistakes while also being willing to have their assessments challenged with the possibility of altering the outcome. Leaders who take a moment to consider employee concerns will likely be perceived as considerate and fair.
Ninth, without necessitating an explanation, is the stress tolerance level of a manager.
Tenth, and inter-related, is the ability to think critically. The best examples, in my professional assessment, are Just Culture leadership and strategic planning. Leaders who consider outcomes as associated with the relative situation will be intellectually stronger. When selecting a leader, the ability to strategically plan out needs and action items is critically important. Managers that fall into the ‘doing' mode for ‘today' will lack the ability to develop in the long-term for advancement and development of operations and the human element.
Next in the eleventh area, the leader must be able to plan ahead in a way that foresees outcomes while anticipating needs of their functional aspects, operationally speaking.
Last is responsiveness. Some managers behave, intentionally and unintentionally, in ways that seem to always ‘miss the point'. For this reason, managers must demonstrate the understanding of objectives, decisions and goals in order to support the leadership team operationally.
The only step remaining is the action of the upper-level manager. Assessing these areas, while measuring the outcomes and consequences of such variables, can reveal opportunities and challenges. But, the assessment is only as valuable as the action taken to change the subordinate manager. This can be done by either eliminating the manager from the management team, developing action plans for development, behaviorally and functionally mentoring the manager, and through training on problematic areas. But, again, the upper-level leader must take action before the behaviors begin to break down the management structure and effectiveness.
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