This is certainly consistent with my own view on leadership. Michael, I can't remember if I ever told you, but my favorite book on leadership (perhaps counterintuitively) is "Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage." This is really just a retelling of what happened under Shackelton's watch, but the results were seriously virtually unbelievable.
Nice, man. It might not resonate with you the same way it did with me, just simply because we come from different backgrounds, but for me it was a much needed wake-up call.
And being in that position today with a team of 30+ people, I cannot imagine not listening to what they have to say. I don’t have all the answers. But I can’t succeed if we don’t succeed together.
I actually pissed someone off at work this week for all the right reasons (they’ve made some poor choices at work - not mistakes, conscious choices - and I’ve raised the damage it’s doing and they didn’t like it).
My experiences have been varied, but the most useful strategy has been to “manage up” with those managers that appear to be more interested in the job title than the role.
Leading them towards more beneficial solutions, showing options. It usually works because fundamentally nobody wants to be known as a bad manager or a failure.
And senior leaders of the business also understand that managers come and go, and without the “talent”, the people that do the work, there won’t be a business. So they are definitely interested when things aren’t as well as they could be.
The worst leaders I worked under were those who were in that position because they 'knew where the bodies were buried'. Management would never remove them, or they would be exposed.
Thank you Michael. This resonates so much with my own experience as a clinical pharmacist in a large health care system. I watched as those promoted to leadership seemed to forget who they were or where they came from. I read an interview with Stephen Botchko of Hill Street Blues fame saying his philosophy was to always shit on the people above him. I love that. When I retired I told folks that I made a career of punching up. It’s the primary reason I never got out of the trenches of the front line in my profession but my friendships with all the other little people like me still remain to this day.
This mirrors my experience. I was once 'coached' that I should act more like my peers. When I asked how that would affect my performance insofar as I was leading two teams and people were begging to join my work they said I'd have to tone that down a bit.
This is certainly consistent with my own view on leadership. Michael, I can't remember if I ever told you, but my favorite book on leadership (perhaps counterintuitively) is "Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage." This is really just a retelling of what happened under Shackelton's watch, but the results were seriously virtually unbelievable.
Thanks! I put that book in my reading list.
Nice, man. It might not resonate with you the same way it did with me, just simply because we come from different backgrounds, but for me it was a much needed wake-up call.
"If you're not pissing people off you're only average." Wow. That is counterintuitive and I can't disprove it!
Love it!
Phenomenal take isn’t it
I'm still trying to fully contextualize it but I love it.
I’ve worked under good and bad leaders.
When under the bad ones it was immensely frustrating because I could see the path they should take and they simply couldn’t see it.
I never thought I’d be a leader. I was very shy at school and never put myself forward for any leadership task.
But the more I watched these bad leaders the more I realised I almost had a duty to do it better. So I stepped up and haven’t looked back.
The best leaders are those that take it because it's the right thing to do, not because it's prestigious.
And being in that position today with a team of 30+ people, I cannot imagine not listening to what they have to say. I don’t have all the answers. But I can’t succeed if we don’t succeed together.
I actually pissed someone off at work this week for all the right reasons (they’ve made some poor choices at work - not mistakes, conscious choices - and I’ve raised the damage it’s doing and they didn’t like it).
Feeling very smug reading this.
Those are the best kind to piss off 🤣
My experiences have been varied, but the most useful strategy has been to “manage up” with those managers that appear to be more interested in the job title than the role.
Leading them towards more beneficial solutions, showing options. It usually works because fundamentally nobody wants to be known as a bad manager or a failure.
And senior leaders of the business also understand that managers come and go, and without the “talent”, the people that do the work, there won’t be a business. So they are definitely interested when things aren’t as well as they could be.
Good point. I manage up more than down almost all the time .
The worst leaders I worked under were those who were in that position because they 'knew where the bodies were buried'. Management would never remove them, or they would be exposed.
I've met those types too for certain! They suck! Hell, the leader I mentioned in this essay we joked that they must have photos of someone!
Thank you Michael. This resonates so much with my own experience as a clinical pharmacist in a large health care system. I watched as those promoted to leadership seemed to forget who they were or where they came from. I read an interview with Stephen Botchko of Hill Street Blues fame saying his philosophy was to always shit on the people above him. I love that. When I retired I told folks that I made a career of punching up. It’s the primary reason I never got out of the trenches of the front line in my profession but my friendships with all the other little people like me still remain to this day.
Yeah, my success is 'mixed' with my leadership but my teams and those I've led have always made it worthwhile. I can honestly say I did right by them.
This mirrors my experience. I was once 'coached' that I should act more like my peers. When I asked how that would affect my performance insofar as I was leading two teams and people were begging to join my work they said I'd have to tone that down a bit.
What the heck?
Just be average man! Stop making us look bad.