|
|
| Home - Industry Article - Sep 05 Issue |
The Chief Enabler
continued... page 2 |
Show vulnerability. We expect much of our CEOs -- knowledge, strength and courage. We don't expect them to show emotion, unless it's anger. Organizations don't want to see their CEOs sweat, unless, like a Chainsaw Al Dunlap, they are loathed. But if a CEO does reveal a human side, he is manifesting humanity. That should be an endearing quality and not perceived as a weakness. Of course, when women leaders do this, the nay Sayers pounce, claiming that emotion has no place in management. Too bad. Perhaps if more emotion were shown, companies like Enron with its macho image would have avoided some of its more egregious errors. After all, it took a woman, Sheryl Watkins, to blow the first whistle.
Share the credit. Ultimately if managers want to enable their people, they must enable them to participate in the glory, too. Those at the top who hog all the credit will quickly communicate that they come first. Employees understand this implicitly. And that's why there is far too little enabling going on. Their attitude becomes: Why bother when my actions will only make the big guy look good? Shortsighted perhaps, but very human. Therefore, it's up to managers to make the first move by sharing credit. Not simply with words but also by actions that include public recognition, awards and even promotion.
Leadership at Every Level
Leaders who enable do more than share the load; they make certain that the load is shared. They put the team on notice that they must participate in the leadership process, not simply wait for it to happen. Successful franchise operations are a good example of how this works. McDonald's operators are leaders in the workplace; they recruit, retain and promote their people by delegating responsibility and authority.
They also serve as leaders in their community; franchisees are major sponsors of youth sports and community councils. In addition, McDonald's operators provide input into the running of the company in new product development, marketing and operations. Leadership is a given as well as an expectation.
Leaders who enable are those who accomplish their results. Intel provides a good example of this. As a technology-driven company it has developed a culture of participatory leadership. From founder Robert Noyce to successors such as Andrew Grove, Craig Barrett and now Paul Ottelini, Intel has expectations that senior managers will not only execute, but also innovate and provide good feedback for their people up and down the organization. Success at Intel is not reserved for those at the top; it's part of the shared enterprise.
Enabling others to succeed is fundamental to leadership and it pays dividends in terms of results that benefit individuals, teams and organizations.
John Baldoni is a leadership consultant and coach who works with Fortune 500 companies as well as non profits including the University of Michigan. He is a frequent keynote and workshop speaker and the author of 5 books on leadership, including "Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders" as well as his newest "Great Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders" (McGraw-Hill). For additional information, visit www.johnbaldoni.com or email John at john@johnbaldoni.com
 
|
|
|
