Are Leaders Mentors or Tormentors?
I sometimes say, Cracking Great Leaders are managers of human energy; however, ‘managers of energy’ is probably the wrong way to think about it. Human energy cannot be bought or controlled, it can’t be managed. It can only be given, encouraged and set free.
As I have listened to the hundreds of stories in my workshops, one characteristic of Cracking Great Leaders is spoken about more than any other: they both protect and provoke their people. Sometimes they are mentors sometimes tormentors. But they always make it safe to be risky.
Cracking Great Leaders protect their people. They know themselves deeply and what matters to them. They have a deep, calm power that people feel. They are accessible if needed. They don't cut themselves off by appearing too busy or important. They are not buffeted by external circumstances. Because they have provided themselves with the space and time to understand who they are and what they stand for, others feel the right to do the same. In the safety of this environment people feel courageous enough to explore and develop their own Greatness.
At the same time, Cracking Great Leaders provoke their people. They believe in their people more than the people believe in themselves. They believe that everyone has a Greatness and they deliberately encourage them to crack off mud.
People have an amazing ability to live down to low expectations, or to live up to high expectations. Many managers have low expectations of their people. They act like babysitters by checking attendance and dress code. If managers act like babysitters, people will respond in kind.
Cracking Great Leaders have high expectations of themselves and those they work with. I'm sure you have heard about the studies where two teachers have been allocated children on a random basis, but one told that their children were geniuses and the other told that their children were low-achievers. The researchers found that by the end of the year the expectations that the teacher had of their class was reflected in the exam marks. Leaders do the same every day. They create geniuses because they believe in their people more than the people believe in themselves.
Cracking Great Leaders put processes (like those in Chapters 6 and 7) in place that help their people see their Greatness and believe it. They provide tangible opportunities for risk-taking. They actively provoke their people with challenges they did not think they were capable of achieving.
This post is a transcript from page 149 of Cracking Great Leaders. It’s a book about how to release human energy at work. It views people and organisations as energy fields, deeper and stronger than most managers understand - way beyond strengths to Genius.
To see the contents and the first few pages, just click on the word 'Preview' below the image of the book at: https://lnkd.in/bPv6Swn
As I have listened to the hundreds of stories in my workshops, one characteristic of Cracking Great Leaders is spoken about more than any other: they both protect and provoke their people. Sometimes they are mentors sometimes tormentors. But they always make it safe to be risky.
Cracking Great Leaders protect their people. They know themselves deeply and what matters to them. They have a deep, calm power that people feel. They are accessible if needed. They don't cut themselves off by appearing too busy or important. They are not buffeted by external circumstances. Because they have provided themselves with the space and time to understand who they are and what they stand for, others feel the right to do the same. In the safety of this environment people feel courageous enough to explore and develop their own Greatness.
At the same time, Cracking Great Leaders provoke their people. They believe in their people more than the people believe in themselves. They believe that everyone has a Greatness and they deliberately encourage them to crack off mud.
People have an amazing ability to live down to low expectations, or to live up to high expectations. Many managers have low expectations of their people. They act like babysitters by checking attendance and dress code. If managers act like babysitters, people will respond in kind.
Cracking Great Leaders have high expectations of themselves and those they work with. I'm sure you have heard about the studies where two teachers have been allocated children on a random basis, but one told that their children were geniuses and the other told that their children were low-achievers. The researchers found that by the end of the year the expectations that the teacher had of their class was reflected in the exam marks. Leaders do the same every day. They create geniuses because they believe in their people more than the people believe in themselves.
Cracking Great Leaders put processes (like those in Chapters 6 and 7) in place that help their people see their Greatness and believe it. They provide tangible opportunities for risk-taking. They actively provoke their people with challenges they did not think they were capable of achieving.
This post is a transcript from page 149 of Cracking Great Leaders. It’s a book about how to release human energy at work. It views people and organisations as energy fields, deeper and stronger than most managers understand - way beyond strengths to Genius.
To see the contents and the first few pages, just click on the word 'Preview' below the image of the book at: https://lnkd.in/bPv6Swn