Recent travels brought me to two large international operations in the same market sector to observe leadership approaches.
Manager A has what he likes to call an “easy” relationship with his contemporaries. His goal is to be equal rather than lead by example. He manages democratically; using feedback from all sides before reaching a decision or taking action. He wants everyone to feel listened to, valued and happy.
Observations: There is consistent chaos among the non-engaged. There is a lack of respect. No one is challenged. Worst of all, there is a lack of knowledge about the product and services offered. End result: this company had no culture and is chaotic due to a lack of leadership. An unhappy work environment has been created.
Manager B was clear about roles in every department. Instructions and responsibilities for those roles were clearly defined from the top down. Everyone was prepared and confident. There was listening. There was no rushing. Communication was timely and appropriate. Meetings were held in which team members talked about an experienced event or a scenario in order to prepare them for the best day. Leadership engaged team members to participate; learn from insights; focus on structure, scheduling and communication approaches.
Observations: This positive, structured environment created a completely different market for their product by providing better service. It was obvious that everyone valued the company, their jobs and took ownership in the company. By being clear with their demands and expectations, this company’s leadership was clearly looking toward growth and the future – and their employees were, too.
TAKEAWAYS:
Manager A was the perfect example of Consensus Leadership. Consensus leaders always try to give people equal consideration by seeking their input. They welcome all ideas and suggestions so the team can come to an agreement and keep the majority happy. Leaders rarely divulge their opinion and often times, sacrifice their own preferences or desired direction for the majority. This approach often leads to low morale and lack of progress. Trying to create an equal playing field leaves no room for critical thinking. Consensus leadership does not work.
One of the most interesting pieces of recent workplace literature is the “Netflix Culture” outlined on their website. You can read it in its entirety here. It opens with the following statement:
Like all great companies, we strive to hire the best and we value integrity, excellence, respect, inclusivity, and collaboration. What is special about Netflix, though, is how much we:
- encourage independent decision-making by employees
- share information openly, broadly, and deliberately
- are extraordinarily candid with each other
- keep only our highly effective people
- avoid rules
I find this public acknowledgement of mindset refreshing to see. Not only can consumers read about the high standards to which employees are held at Netflix, employees and management have great clarity from the beginning about expectations, their roles and integrity.
A healthy, thriving organization requires a vision that comes from leadership. Employees must be guided so they have clarity and start taking ownership immediately. As a leader, meet with every team member and get to know everyone at every step of the process -- personally. This will allow you to keep your focus – especially when communicating with different generations at different levels within the organization. As a leader, you should constantly re-evaluate your team.
Team building is about alignment of vision with expectations and communicating roles to team members so that they are clearly understood. The right resources augment performance. Outstanding performance results in precision, productivity and longevity.
