He didn't have a computer on his desk. In fact, he rarely had anything on his desk but a telephone, a notepad and a container with a few pens. He signed cheques, read magazines and industry publications and at least once each week he connected with every single staff member to ask about their kids, aging parents, night-school course, their move, their fishing trip ... he knew what was important to each of his staff and he let them know he appreciated them as human beings.
When you popped into his office to ask a question, he would welcome you in, put his magazine away and give you his undivided attention. He handled all questions quickly, efficiently and brilliantly, always with the greatest respect. He would ask for your opinions. He insisted that he didn't hire stupid people and trusted us to know the right things to do in our particular jobs. We did not need his approval. Of course, that meant we were 100% responsible for our results and we knew it. We also knew he was always watching.
He knew who had great potential and he provided many opportunities for them to develop and use that potential. He also knew who the trouble-makers were and he gave them enough rope to hang themselves.
When crisis hit, it was often over before anyone knew it had started. This brilliant leader knew his people, knew his industry, was well connected, respected and informed. He focused on the RIGHT things and the company ran like a well oiled machine under his watch.
He WAS always watching ... with a smile on his face and a kind word. He earned our greatest respect and made us all feel we needed to step up and make him proud.
When the company was bought out, we were given a new General Manager. He had a computer, was always buried in paperwork and was completely out of touch with the staff. He relied on his department managers to tell him what was happening, who should be fired, what raises should be given and what he should be aware of. The impression to staff from the department managers was that the General Manager should not be disturbed and there was a hierarchy to go through to reach him.
Out came the brown nosers, the back stabbers, the oppressive middle managers who had no clue how to lead. What was once a well oiled machine grew slower, and slower, and slower. Good people left or were fired. Remaining people were stressed. We lost our morale and our innovation. We lost clients. We lost reputation.
What made all the difference was the General Managers' people skills - true leadership skills.
By now, from reading my blog, you've figured out that good leaders are NOT born. Besides knowledge of your industry, there are a lot of communication, counseling and consulting skills to master and be able to shift between quickly at the right times.
We all have some of these skills without realizing it. Unfortunately, many managers focus on the skills they are most comfortable with and fail to develop the ones they lack. Either they don't know these skills are missing, or they feel they can get by on what they have. When crisis hits and their lack of skills causes problems, these managers fall back on command and control or abandon responsibility, let everyone else scramble and then white wash the whole incident later.
Leadership is not controlling people. It's leading people through necessary change. It's providing the opportunity for the talent they've hired to take the company toward its vision through its mission in the most efficient, effective, resourceful and innovative ways possible. It's creating a positive work environment that promotes motivation, innovation and cooperation. Leadership is not being busy. Leadership is being ready.
The greatest lesson I learned from Jim McLaughlin, my all-time favourite General Manager, was to be able to shift gears quickly, use the right skills at the right times for the right reasons, know people (or at least make them think you know them) and never underestimate the power of kind and caring words, a knowing smile, good eye contact, great listening skills and a bit of your time.
TODAY's Leadership Challenge: Review leadership skills #13 through 48. Single out the ones you don't feel comfortable with. Read the challenges associated with them and schedule some time each week to work on those. The better you become at these skills, the easier you'll be able to shift in and out of them when you need to.
"I'll never need to use some of these skills." you say? If you used all the leadership skills well and appropriately, your job would be so much easier and you would be considered as brilliant as Jim McLaughlin. Besides, I'd rather have these skills and never need them, than one day need them and not have them.
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