| In trying to understand leadership, it is a good idea | | | | trust and he will never go beyond the core job |
| to take a brief look at some negative motivational | | | | requirements again. |
| techniques so that we understand what leadership | | | | I was once made aware of a company that |
| is not. This list is by no means comprehensive; but | | | | made a big deal out of the large bonuses that |
| it does include some of the most common | | | | they paid each year (and were planning for the |
| offences:o Leadership is not the absence of | | | | current year). Unfortunately for the team |
| guidance. Ken Blanchard has a great description | | | | members those bonuses mysteriously shrank at |
| for this; He calls it "leave alone, zap." It describes | | | | the end of each year. The company's executives |
| many managers who provide their staff with | | | | were extremely creative at justifying reductions |
| absolutely no guidance; then they criticize them | | | | in bonuses. At the same time they were unable |
| the moment that they do not meet an | | | | to understand why the big bonus promises were |
| un-communicated set of expectations or they | | | | less motivating year after year and morale in the |
| transgress over an invisible line that they had not | | | | organization was low.o Leadership is not |
| been told about. | | | | threatening. More of the carrot and stick |
| This is often caused by a manager who does not | | | | philosophy of motivation with special emphasis on |
| really know what s/he wants or what her/his | | | | the stick. The thought process goes along the line |
| expectations are. S/He can't clearly articulate | | | | of, "If I threaten someone with the one thing that |
| what s/he wants in advance. S/He can only | | | | they are terrified of, it will motivate them to |
| criticize when something is done and it doesn't | | | | work harder than they have ever done." The |
| "feel" right or when her/his incompetent | | | | threat is usually along the lines of whether the |
| supervisor does the same thing to him.o | | | | employee will have a future with the company or |
| Leadership is not a control freak. Control freak | | | | career opportunities within it. |
| management is the art of not letting a team | | | | This thought process just does not work. People |
| member do anything, almost to the point of | | | | are not motivated by the threat of negative |
| breathing, without permission. Then no matter | | | | repercussions; instead they subconsciously avoid |
| what the employee does, even with permission, it | | | | the situation that the threat arose as part of. So |
| will be criticized. Control freaks feel they must | | | | if I were to threaten an employee with |
| have direct authority and be in command of | | | | termination because of a poor job s/he is more |
| absolutely everything. They have a need to | | | | likely to avoid the task that was done poorly |
| criticize; almost compulsively. Even when their | | | | rather than improve the performance. |
| staff performs a task exactly the way they | | | | If you want someone to avoid his job, threaten |
| were told to do the previous time they will still | | | | him about it. |
| find opportunities criticism. The work will never | | | | In one extreme case that I learned about, the |
| meet approval; therefore praise and | | | | president of a large company threatened to slit |
| encouragement is never given. | | | | the throat of an information technology team |
| Control freaks typically have three attributes in | | | | member who was not "fixing his computer fast |
| common: | | | | enough." Now do you suppose that this threat |
| 1. They genuinely believe that they are doing | | | | motivated the IT person to work harder or |
| what is best for the people they are controlling. | | | | faster, or did it just frighten or upset him causing |
| Take note of this for yourself. Don't make the | | | | him to focus on the threat instead of on the |
| mistake of believing that you are not over | | | | computer problem? Even if he was not afraid of |
| controlling because you have good intentions or | | | | the physical violence it was still very insulting and |
| that your controlling nature is justified because of | | | | de-motivating for the president to treat him this |
| your good intentions. | | | | way (not to mention a criminal act by threatening |
| 2. They are insecure. They feel that they have | | | | death). |
| short comings and that the rest of the world is | | | | This company president was one of the most |
| judging them. In order to protect themselves | | | | pathetic excuses for a leader that I have ever |
| from such judgments they resort to controlling | | | | had the experience of meeting. He was a man |
| their environment and everyone/everything in it. | | | | who thrived on absolute power by controlling and |
| 3. Control freaks focus on others and their | | | | instilling fear in employees.o Leadership is not |
| performance so that do not have to acknowledge | | | | playing political games. Save the politics for the |
| and address their own issues. | | | | leadership of countries. True leadership does not |
| I once had a manager who criticized me if I got | | | | manipulate people or situations in order to win |
| up from my desk to attend a meeting two | | | | favour with others. Politics occurs when hidden |
| minutes before it was about to start because I | | | | agendas collide and the individuals behind those |
| was wasting time. However she would also come | | | | agendas behave in a subversive manner. A |
| to my desk at one minute before a meeting and | | | | person will claim that he is fighting for the good of |
| exclaim, "Aren't you coming to the meeting? | | | | the company but really it's her/his own career |
| What are you waiting for?" No matter what I did, | | | | path that s/he is most concerned about. As |
| she criticized it. She was the classic example of | | | | indicated earlier doing a good job as a leader is |
| someone who had to compulsively maintain | | | | the way to get ahead, not politics.o Leadership is |
| control and it was mainly done through constant | | | | not craving authority. Although authority is tied to |
| disapproval. | | | | position, leadership often is not. It is not the |
| The control freak is someone who is very | | | | position that inspires people, it is the character of |
| insecure. S/He is terrified that people will realize | | | | the person doing the leading that either inspires or |
| her/his level of incompetence and judge her/him | | | | detracts.o Leadership is not a power trip. There |
| (this is often imagined or magnified by their | | | | are some individuals who strive for authority to |
| insecurities). S/He will strive to control everything | | | | stroke their own egos (the previously mentioned |
| around her/him so this does not happen. For the | | | | president was such an individual). They may make |
| control freak, all of this happens at a | | | | themselves feel good, but they are not going to |
| sub-conscious level; the only conscious aspect of | | | | be motivating anyone else while doing so. They |
| it is "a knowledge" that the staff member is | | | | are usually transparent in their motive and not |
| incompetent and needs constant supervision in | | | | respected or appreciated. |
| order to protect her/him for her/his own good.o | | | | I once had a director who liked to call 2 hour long |
| Leadership is not setting up staff to take the | | | | "emergency" staff meetings at 4:30 pm on |
| blame for failure. Many managers meticulously | | | | Fridays. They turned out to be nothing more than |
| document their staffs' errors so that they have | | | | long status meetings that involved her rambling on |
| evidence to prove that any problems were a | | | | for a couple of hours while she placed employees' |
| team member's fault and not their own. In fact, a | | | | weekends on hold. She obviously loved the feeling |
| good leader does two things that we will expand | | | | of power she got from it. |
| on further; they look for people doing things right, | | | | She did not realize that this behaviour cause her |
| not wrong, so that they can praise them and | | | | to lose her staff's respect. She quickly lost her |
| they (generally) accept the responsibility for | | | | opportunity to motivate them in a positive |
| failures and problems.o Leadership is not lying | | | | manner. |
| about future incentives. This is the carrot and | | | | This is just a sampling of some of the worst |
| stick approach with emphasis on the carrot. You | | | | ways you can try to motivate someone. |
| can get people to stretch themselves in the short | | | | Obviously, if you do not want to stagnate your |
| term by offering them some incentives (such as | | | | career and alienate your staff you should avoid |
| bonuses, salary increases, or promotions); | | | | using any of these techniques. |
| however, if those incentives are not delivered | | | | If you want to excel in your career and positively |
| when they are earned, all credibility, both present | | | | motivate your staff then break out of your |
| and future, will be lost. You have just used the | | | | comfort zone and start putting the leadership skills |
| employee and s/he will know it. He will know that | | | | you learn into practice. |
| the employer/employee relationship is not one of | | | | |