The Old Leader

There was a day when command and control leaders flourished and were successful. The workers they managed were doing physical labor where brawn was the asset. The worker’s physical strength was most important and extrinsic motivations (instilling fear; “my way or the highway,” etc.) were popular.

The New Worker

Now, it’s all about motivating workers to engage, offer discretionary effort and bring their better self to work—because they want to. Command and control leaders are unable to stimulate that kind of intrinsic motivation. “Because I said so,” or “Because that’s the job,” are not good reasons to motivate staff to go the extra mile. Command and control leaders have nothing else to offer. Today’s leaders must find ways to stoke their workers’ internal drives. Here are some contrasting examples of leaders.

Old and New Practices

Before, C&C leaders operated under the illusion that they could see and understand enough of the problems and issues in order to make the best decisions. It comes from the old management belief that the thinking happens at the top, and then orders are passed down to the laborers to execute. In certain settings, this style may still be appropriate, but not in professional practice.

Before, employes who were complaint, “just tell me what to do” type, were preferred. Critical thinking, interpersonal skills and personal management capabilities were not valued or needed. Now, they are mandatory and should be sought in the interview process, and then trained, coached and rewarded all along the way.

Before, leaders were looked to for answers. People would elevate problems to their leaders for direction. There was no expectation that others below leaders could be trusted to make the right decision and take the right actions. Today, effective leaders ask questions to gather insights from others. That kind of input is essential to round out understanding, in order to make good decisions.

Your Leader Progress

No matter where you are in your career, make an effort to develop (or adapt) your leadership effectiveness. What should you focus on for the remainder of this year?

• Ask questions instead of giving answers?
• Equip others to make decisions?
• Entrust others to take right actions?
• Give credit to people for their reasoning and behavior?

These are not practices of command and control leaders. But these practices will motivate and engage today’s workforce. Focus on them to increase your leader effectiveness.