Manage your business… LEAD people

It seems that in the course of one’s life, there are individuals who inspire, guide, motivate and challenge you to push yourself past the realm of what you believed you were capable of achieving. You trusted them, you watched them in action, and you became dependent, without knowing, that these were the individuals who would set the bar for future “Managers” in your life. The reality is, these were not simply managers, these were the Leaders in your life.

Unfortunately, the ratio of leaders to managers is drastic. Sadly I can count on one hand the number of true leaders I have worked for. Sure, most who are in positions that carry the title of Manager like to think they are leaders, but very few understand the difference. The sad part is, that to them, being in a position to supervise other people is viewed as an entitlement to be respected, never questioned or challenged. A little term I picked up in the Marine Corps was “Blind obedience to orders.”

There are many today who have stumbled into management positions, because of what they have produced as an individual, which is commendable; through time in service, somewhat commendable; or by, lets just call it what it is, kissing ass, completely unacceptable. No matter the path, when presented with taking on the responsibility of managing people, many are ill-prepared for that challenge. As a result, they end up breaking the backs of those they ride upon.

A small part of me feels sorry for these individuals for they have and will probably never experience the joy of being a leader. Leaders experience a level of pride in watching those under their charge grow and flourish. Reward comes at them through the accomplishments of their staff. They recognize this, value this and cherish this. They reward their staff by dedicating themselves to them. If you don’t believe this, look no further than any coach at any level of sports who has a winning team. The formula is quite simple: Do any and everything for your people and they will do the same for you.

Over the next few weeks, I will be focusing on the topic of leadership. In many ways as a reminder to myself of the things that I should challenge myself to uphold. To not be swayed or frustrated by those who have not the capacity, understanding or desire to understand the responsibility or honor of leading people. I only hope I can convey the importance of this topic in my life in a way that others can validate, borrow or leverage in their own careers.

The bottom line is; Manager is a title and as such, one should never forget that a title is a title; it does not entitle one to forsake those who put you where you are.