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advice/perspective on jobs, work and management
## We need better leadership
> *My company is struggling right now – and in my opinion, it’s because we lack good leadership. Our previous CEO was great; he just seemed to get it. Always knew what to do, when to do it, and how. He was also very focused on building a strong client base, and customer support. But then he retired, and things just haven’t been the same ever since. We struggle to make our numbers, and constantly seem to be putting out fires. I’ve even heard there may be layoffs! Can’t the board do something about this before everything goes to s\*\*\*?!? – Name withheld*
Absolutely – I’m all for it. I’m mean, who wouldn’t be in favor of better leadership?
I’m afraid that’s easier said than done, however.
Part of the problem is that “leadership” is such a tricky concept to define. It’s very, very difficult to say what, exactly, makes certain leaders so effective. As leadership guru Warren Bennis philosophizes in *On Becoming a Leader* (1989):
“
Those who take a stab at defining it more precisely tend to encounter another problem. Anything they do come up with—for instance, that effective leaders offer a compelling vision, are charismatic communicators, and/or exercise considerable influence over their followers—is often as true for an epically great leader (ie. Rev. Martin Luther King) as it is for an absolutely terrible one (Hitler).
What we’re left with then is that good leaders are good because they’re…well, *good*. And bad leaders are just *bad*. Beyond that, it’s hard to say. Or, as management scholar and writer Phil Rosenzweig explains in *The Halo Effect* (2007):
“…we have no satisfactory theory of effective leadership that is independent of performance…”
I hear just a hint of this in what you say.
Your previous CEO seemed to just “get it,” you insist. Great – but what does that mean, *exactly*? Get it *how*? Because unless you can be more specific, that’s not much for your board to go on should they start looking for a new one.
More insightful is your observation that your former chief executive focused on building your organization’s client base, and customer service. At least that’s specific (although I’d be surprised if your current CEO doesn’t view these things as important too). But can you be sure this is what made him so effective? Or was it something else?
What you may be falling for here is the fallacy of the “single explanation.” As Dr. Rosenzweig explains in this text, this is to wrongly attribute success to a particular strategy, action, or behavior when in fact a multitude of factors may have contributed. There is also the mistake of “connecting the winning dots.” Just because a successful business (or leader) does certain things doesn’t necessarily mean that other, unsuccessful companies aren’t doing the same things too (or trying to). Nor will pursuing a successful strategy implemented by another business necessarily produce similar success for yours. This is the delusion of the “wrong end of the stick.”
So sure – a better leader. Easy to say. Not so easy to do.
If there’s any advice I might offer you, however, it’s this: Don’t expect, or even look to your board to identify the leader you hope for, or seem to need. Rarely are the best leaders assigned by fiat.
Instead, they tend to be chosen by the people they’re meant to serve.
MLK, Mandela, Ghandi – these great social and political leaders were ultimately selected by those who would eventually benefit from the movements they led. There’s no reason this wouldn’t hold true for a business as well.
Now, I know, I know – never in a million years is your company’s board going to let you and you coworkers replace your CEO with someone of your collective choosing. But it’s worth acknowledging that’s how leadership works, when it works best. Nor should it be overlooked that were your organization’s management willing to even entertain this possibility, your company probably wouldn’t be in the situation it finds itself in to begin with.
You see, effective managers realize that surest path to sustained organizational success is to listen to, support, and ultimately do what their employees tell them to do.
That may not sound like great leadership to you. But it might be just what your company needs.
**NOTES:**
 Bennis, Warren. *On Becoming a Leader*. 1989 (Basic Books Edition, published 2003), p xxvi.
 Rosenzweig, Phil. *The Halo Effect…and the Eight Other Business Delusions That Deceive Managers*. 2007 (The Free Press), p. 60.
 Ibid., multiple pages.
 “”; posted Oct.16, 2020.
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## [ 2 Comments ]
1. !
   TIm Eiler
   on April 28, 2023 at 2:17 pm
   Another thing I would have encouraged you to add, though in a sense it’s implied in what you wrote, I think: The Questioner should also be a leader. A leader doesn’t whine, but goes into the arena to do and help the team. What’s the Questioner doing to support this new CEO? Did the Questioner go into the arena, or is the Questioner simply falling into the role of critic?
3. !
   Will Robinson
   on May 4, 2023 at 11:38 am
   TE adds an important insight.
   While the most obstinate and arrogant managers will never change, it IS possible to use positive reinforcement and “we’re in this together” cues to “train” a manager to be receptive to seeking and responding to employee feedback and concerns. And if coming from multiple employees, probably even more effective.
   Some managers are genuinely clueless and don’t themselves get much training or support from their Boards. Anything the staff can do to help that new boss see that having a unified vision that everybody (or at least most people) buys into benefits EVERYONE.
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## Ask a busy person to do it
> *There’s an old management saying that goes “if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.” I couldn’t agree more. As a manager, I find my busiest employees are my most productive, and vice versa. They accomplish more, do it better, and in less time than their slacker colleagues. So when I really, really need something done, I ask one of them. Makes sense, right? – Name withheld*
So far as I can tell, the earliest documented uttering of this familiar management adage seems to have been in 1856.
In the minutes of the Committee of Council on Education, the then Inspector of Schools for Lancashire and the Isle of Man in Britain, Rev. W. J. Kennedy exclaimed:
“…if you want any business done for you, you should ask a busy man 
The saying has also been attributed, erroneously it seems, to Elbert Hubbard (an American author and philosopher), Benjamin Franklin, and Lucille Ball.
Regardless of its origins though, you’re spot on as to its meaning.
Busy people are busy for a reason, it seems: They’re always doing something – and appear to prefer it that way. Rather than working quickly to maximize their leisure time (or avoiding work altogether), they seem to derive satisfaction—even pleasure—from being efficient, and the accomplishment of the task itself. The lazy and unmotivated, on the other hand, linger unnecessarily over work that might take half the time, balk at any additional demands that might be placed on them, and seem to expend more energy dodging work than actually doing it.
You’re also astute to recognize this can be useful information for a manager to have. But I would urge you to be very, very cautious before acting on it.
Here’s why: When you start giving your busiest employees more to do, in effect you punish your most productive. Unless there’s some immediate reward in the offering, this approach will only prove effective for so long. Then your high achiever(s) will look around and begin to wonder why they’re working so hard while everyone else is not. This will rankle their sense of fairness – and that’s a problem. Human beings are actually quite happy to behave in ways contrary to their own best interests—not to mention the interests of their employer—if doing so allows them to re-establish this perception of equity. So be careful.
Frankly, you and your organization’s interests would be better served by holding your loafers accountable.
By that I mean make sure they’re doing their fair share, if not necessarily keeping pace with your best. Not only will this up their productivity (or prod them to seek employment somewhere more lax), it’ll prevent your most industrious from feeling like such chumps. You’ll still want to spend most of your *time* with you top-performers, mind you. While all that extra work directed their way will eventually feel like punishment, your attention does not. As Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman of The Gallup Organization explain, the interest and attentiveness of a manager—provided it comes from a place of respect, appreciation, and support—can be its own reward.
So again, resist the urge to pile more work on those who already get a lot done. It’s not fair to them – nor is it in your organization’s best interests. You’re the only one who stands to benefit, and temporarily at that.
But if you do, don’t be surprised if your most productive employees soon join the ranks of your layabouts.
Or choose to leave the organization altogether…presumably for an employer (or a manager) who is more appreciative of their efforts.
 1856, Minutes of the Committee of Council on Education, Section: Inspector’s Reports for 1855, General Report for the Year 1855 by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools, the Rev. W. J. Kennedy, M.A., &c., on the Church of England Schools inspected in the County of Lancaster and in the Isle of Man. Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode, London. Reprinted later that year in *The Manchester Guardian* (The Guardian). Found at: < Retrieved 03-30-23.
 Kahneman, Daniel; Jack L. Knetsch; and Richard Thaler. “Fairness and the assumptions of economics.” *The Journal of Business*, Vol 59, No 4, Part 2: The Behavioral Foundations of Economic Theory (October 1986), p. S285-S300.
 Buckingham, Marcus, and Curt Coffman. *First, Break All the Rules*. 1999. Gallup Press, p. 156.