“You can buy a person’s hand, but you can’t buy his heart….You can buy his back, but you can’t buy his brain.” (Stephen R. Covey)
Manage Things. Lead People.
Many years ago, I was taught, “We manage things, but we lead people.” Since that time, I have disliked the term “manager.” In fact, I asked our HR team to change every “manager” title in our organization to a “leader” title. Thus, Driver Managers became Driver Leaders, and Terminal Managers became Terminal Leaders.
This isn’t just semantics to me. People are not things to be managed. To me, “manager” titles dehumanize employees.
People are not machines. They’re not barnyard animals to be managed with sticks and carrots. People are agents who think and feel and reason and decide for themselves.
Great Leaders
Great leaders respect the agency of others. They don’t rely on fear or formal authority to get things done. Great leaders inspire and lead by example.
Stephen R. Covey taught, “Leadership is communicating people’s worth and potential so clearly that they come to see it in themselves.”
Leaders (1) create an inspiring vision their people are willing to suffer and sacrifice for, (2) convince others of their worth and potential, and then (3) unleash the talent of their people to make the vision a reality.
The Problem With Bosses
Bosses are bullies. They rely on position authority to get things done. They “boss” others. Nobody wants to be “bossed.”
Some bosses rely on shallow incentives to motivate their teams. Others rely on fear to motivate. They threaten to fire, punish, or humiliate others.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf says, “Fear can have a powerful influence over our actions and behavior. But that influence tends to be temporary and shallow….People who are fearful may say and do the right things, but they do not feel the right things.” People acting under fear don’t volunteer their discretionary efforts to find creative solutions and delight customers.
Knowledge Worker Age
During the industrial revolution, steam engines and other machines drove massive improvements in productivity and standards of living. Competitive advantage in those days came from owning equipment that no one else owned. In that era, unfortunately, many businesses valued their machines more than their people. The machines were the priority, and the role of the people was to serve the machines.
We now live in the knowledge worker age. Most computers and machines are now commodities whose primary role is serving people. Today’s competitive advantage comes from having great people who are intrinsically motivated to work together, solve problems, and delight customers. This discretionary effort of employees’ hearts and brains can’t be bought, it must be earned.
Be a Leader
Start being a leader today! Earn the trust of others by developing your competence and building your character. Lead by example. Don’t waste your time with gossip and criticism. Be a fountain of positive energy. Love the people you serve and prioritize their needs above your own.
