There are two distinct types of leaders and managers. As mentioned in the chapter on Motivation, you have to talk about Jack Welch, ex-CEO of General Electric.

There is no doubt in the minds of people who have met him, studied his management methods or worked with him over the two decades of his tenure; Jack Welch was a leader.

In contrast, Harold Geneen, the ex-CEO of the old ITT, was a manager. He kept detailed notebooks on each of the operations he controlled. He managed his divisions by knowing the details.  Read the full article...

Let’s spend some time on leadership styles.

There are all kinds. What’s your style? Are you going to be your own person? Are you going to copy someone else’s style? Hopefully, you will be yourself and develop your own style.

For one thing, becoming a leader and then radically changing your style is not the way to go. For example, don’t go from being a hard working team member who works well with people to one who demands everything be done yesterday. It’s not the real you and your team will resent the change. And you will end up with more stress problems than you can possibly believe by trying to maintain a persona that doesn’t fit.  Read the full article...

Take a look at the different types of bosses out there. And ask yourself if any of these sound familiar:

Above our level – He walks through a department and never says a word. Acknowledges peers and superiors, never subordinates.

Never cruises – You are never going to see him in your office because he never leaves his own office.

Turf battles – Does not get involved in battles and does not want to make any enemies. Instead, kicks that ball upstairs.

Ain’t in the book – If he can’t find the answer in the manual, it can’t be done.  Read the full article...

Think back to when you first became a supervisor. Did your view of your boss and his job suddenly seem different? Did you now have a tendency to think about his role with a little more sympathy? Probably.
Your decision process and the way you look at things as a supervisor will be different than it was before.

All of us have been in a position where we have wondered about our boss. We may think: “Where the heck did she come up with that idea?” Well, it likely came from her having a wider perspective of what was happening in the workplace than you did. Just as you now see things as a supervisor a little differently than your team does, the same applies to your boss. She has access to more information and more resources than you do.  Read the full article...

Open Door Policy

An open door policy is a fascinating policy. Most organizations claim to have such a policy. But don’t you dare use it! Your head will be handed to you if you do.

Do you have an open door policy for your team? Of course, but is it just words or do you mean it? Your open door policy says that you want your team to bring their problems, concerns and opinions to you. You want them to know that you are approachable and willing to listen. Right?  Read the full article...