You Are Not Allowed To Take Photos Here!!

Originally uploaded by Troy Holden

Well, technically speaking, yes.

But, what if that wasn’t part of your talking points? What if you just left that out? Everyone already knows it’s a reality that they could lose their job if they don’t perform. Everyone can look around at the current state of the economy and realize there’s no guarantee when it comes to their job.

So why say, “everyone is replaceable” if everyone already knows that? The answer is simple. Fear.

The best leaders don’t need to use fear to motivate their team. The worst leaders will use it time and again. The best leaders understand that if they want to build a highly productive team that will produce results long term, they will need something more than simple fear. The worst leaders see the temporary spike in productivity when they activate the fear tactic and keep going back to that well time and time again with poor long term results.

If you take anything away from this post, take this: Managing by fear is lazy. It’s what managers turn to when they can’t come up with any other ideas. It’s what shuts up those who dare question their decisions (albeit temporarily) when the going gets tough.

So, is everyone replacable? Yes. Even managers who manage by fear. Think about it.

Mighty Mouse

Originally uploaded by miamizeiss

Being a leader isn’t bossing people around. Being a leader is showing people the way.

When you see a manager struggling to lead her team, it’s probably because she looks at her position of leadership in two erroneous ways. First of all she probably thinks it’s her job as a manager to strictly maintain (or manage) the status quo. Second she probably thinks that leading is about bossing people around. Both ideas couldn’t be further from the truth.

The best leaders recognize that sometimes the status quo needs bucked in order for real change and results to take place. Also, the best leaders know they need to be showing people the way. It’s one of the fundamental differences between a manager and a leader. One bosses and the other reveals.

So the question is: Are you bossing or leading?

mackenzie

Originally uploaded by will vastine

1. If you’re afraid to get your hands dirty, you’re not ready to lead.
2. If you’re afraid to be held accountable, you’re not ready to lead.
3. If you’re afraid to hold others accountable, you’re not ready to lead.
4. If you’re unwilling to take a stand on something, you’re not ready to lead.
5. If you’re unable to build solid teams, you’re not ready to lead.
6. If you’re always concerned about what others are saying about you, you’re not ready to lead.
7. If you’re unable to be even handed, straightforward, and honest in your dealings with others, you’re not ready to lead.
8. If you’re unable to show others respect and treat others with kindness, you’re not ready to lead.
9. If your idea of team building involves pitting people against each other, you’re not ready to lead.
10. If you’re more concerned about your image than getting it right, you’re not ready to lead.

Do you have some more to add to the list?

Taking a Peek

Originally uploaded by Lopiccolo

The best leaders recognize their best employees, praise them, and reward them for their excellence. Giving lip service when it comes to praise, and then rarely providing much incentive for them to remain excellent doesn’t go over well long term. People want to be praised, but they also want to be rewarded.

Think about it.

If you set the bar so high that no one can ever meet your standard of excellence, mediocrity will begin to take hold in most of your employees. Also, your best employees will grow more and more frustrated because no matter how excellent their performance, they are still told they are mediocre at best.

I get it.

If your best employees score the highest marks possible on their evaluation, your best employees might just demand more pay. Or you may be required to pay them more because of company policy. So in the end it’s more about cost saving than employee performance.

That’s fine, but remember when it comes to your employees, you often get what you pay for.

Originally uploaded by nikaa

Since we’re on the subject of trust, I want to bring up the subject of trusting in your employees. While it’s important for your team to have trust in you and belief in your leadership, it’s equally important that you place a certain amount of trust in them.

Your best employees are going to need you to trust them. They’re going to want you to trust them to make the right decisions. They’re going to expect you to trust them to accomplish the goals you’ve set for them. They’re going to want you to trust them and their work.

The following are three types of managers I’ve identified in the workplace. Trust me, you don’t want to see yourself in any of these descriptions. If you do, I recommend placing a little more trust in your employees.

The Micro Manager

Hovering over your team’s shoulders every few minutes won’t typically produce a more efficient team. There’s a difference between following up and being overbearing. Sadly, many can’t seem to find the right balance. While micro managing can be annoying to your best employees, can distract others, and can intimidate, the overriding message it sends is, “I’m your manager and I don’t trust you to finish the work I’ve asked you to do.”

The Better Than You Manager

A manager who has to remind everyone he’s the manager has other, more personal issues I won’t get into here. I’ve had a couple like this before, and I’m sure you can think of a few like this yourself. This manager is not unlike the manager with new clothes I’ve discussed before. The most important thing to know is you shouldn’t be looking down your nose at your team. Doing so not only destroys the trust your team has in you, the overriding message it sends is, “I’m your manager, I know better, and I don’t trust you to know anything.”

The Must Have Control Manager

This manager must be in control at all times. No matter how absurd that task really is. They will be looking over your shoulder often to see what you’re doing. Typically they’re trying to find something you’re doing wrong. Reading your emails, your IM’s, and recording your phone calls. While I understand the good that can come from your boss having access to these things, the manager who sifts through these communications all the time, just waiting for someone to mess up, is creating an atmosphere of mistrust. More importantly, their behavior is screaming, “I’m your manager and I don’t trust you to say the right thing.”

The Takeaway

Yes, it is essential you cultivate trust among your team in you to lead them. Yes, without it you and your team will fail. Yes, do everything you can to be consistent, honest, and encouraging to your team so you can help establish trust. BUT, you cannot forget the importance in trusting in your team. Empower them and get out of their way. Show them you have confidence in their talent and ability to succeed. Never let your actions say to your team, “I don’t trust you.”

Never.

Wesley

Originally uploaded by Breath of Life

When you’re promoted to a position of leadership, there’s an instant respect that comes with the position. The trust of the team and you’re ability to influence them comes later. It takes time, work, and team building. Too many take on their new position of leadership and expect instant trust. When it isn’t there as quick as they would like, they get frustrated and start making some of these 31 mistakes.

The problem: It usually doesn’t work that way.

The take away: Trust is earned. End of story.

internal 246/365, originally uploaded by shes_jack.

Lost trust in who? Lost trust in you.

1. You don’t demonstrate trust in your team.
2. You talk a lot and rarely listen.
3. You are an 18 second manager.
4. You don’t follow up when you say you will.
5. You don’t take responsibility.
6. You don’t share helpful information.
7. You practice reactionary management.
8. You focus on perception over real results.
9. You don’t admit to mistakes.
10. You haven’t defined the game you expect your team to play.
11. You use threats as a way to motivate.
12. You don’t communicate with your team often or well.
13. You always defend the status quo.
14. You avoid difficult decisions.
15. You make examples of team members when they make a mistake.
16. You don’t build a relationship with your team.
17. You are a fault finder, rather than a problem solver.
18. You rarely recognize or reward those who do an outstanding job.
19. You forget to be human.
20. You take opposing ideas as a personal attack on your ideas.
21. You manage by cliche.
22. You would rather spin than be direct and upfront.
23. You aren’t flexible.
24. You refuse to hold yourself and others accountable.
25. You hold meetings and then talk, filibuster, and grandstand the whole time.
26. You don’t respond well to opposing ideas or change.
27. You have no clear vision.
28. You are indecisive.
29. You don’t demand excellence.
30. You depress excellence by accepting mediocrity.
31. You solve problems by deploying the SMTP method.

There’s probably a few more reasons your team can lose trust in your leadership that I haven’t listed. What’s some reasons you can think of?

DSC03857

Originally uploaded by Tim Middick

“All greatness of character is dependent on individuality. The man who has no other existence than that which he partakes in common with all around him, will never have any other than an existence of mediocrity.”  ~ James F. Cooper

The cult of mediocrity that can sometimes be found in the workplace feeds off a group mentality. The cult requires everyone or nearly everyone to drink the kool-aid in order to survive. Individuals aren’t usually tolerated very long. Especially if they start asking questions or posing different ways of doing things. Heresy is not acceptable. Compliance in everything is the only acceptable behavior.

In my opinion, this leads to a terrible waste of talent.

An office that merely trains cogs within it’s stringent system will never be able to tap into the talent that is directly under it’s nose. Wasted talent will in turn lead to lost talent. An acceptance of policies that depress excellence and promote mediocrity will drive your best employees crazy at best and out the door at worst.

Questions To Ask Yourself:

• As a leader are you cultivating the talent you have within your team?
• Are you creating followers (cogs), or are you creating more leaders?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. One of the greatest compliments you could receive as a leader is to have created a leader who moves on to bigger and better things. If you’re truly cultivating talent and defeating the cult of mediocrity, you will be creating more leaders. Period.