Know When to Manage Behind the Scenes
Sometimes it is not simply what a leader does but rather how he does it that makes the most impact.
This is a point that David Brooks argued in a recent New York Times column calling for President Obama to be more of a take-charge leader, something he did not do in negotiations over raising the debt ceiling.
Brooks contrasted Obama with Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey who held 30 town hall meetings to talk about his legislative initiatives that would balance the state budget. Since the balancing required deep cuts to services that voters liked, there was plenty of heat in these meetings but Christie did not shy away from voter contact.
Brooks argues that Christie is a "power and mass" type leader, one who is front and center in every crisis. Obama, by contrast, is one who is content to play an off-stage role and work behind the scenes to effect bipartisan solutions to big problems.
Truth is, there is a role for either style; it is a matter of finding it and applying it appropriately.
How leaders act should be driven by the 3Cs: context, circumstance and consequence. Leaders need to be flexible and apply a leadership style that fits the situation, as author and organizational theorist Paul Hersey posited. Considering context, circumstance and consequence is a good way for a leader to determine how involved to be and what style to employ.
Some guidelines:
1. Figure out the context. Executives need to the know the back story, that is, what happened before they arrived on the scene. Sometimes it requires digging and asking lots of questions. For leaders of long tenure, knowing the context is second-nature. They live it every day. Knowledge of the situation and its context sets the stage for what the leader does next.
2. Circumstance--the current situation--determines your degree of involvement. Crisis calls for bold actions. For example, if a new marketing program fails to generate sufficient awareness, the chief marketing officer should handle the situation. If multiple marketing initiatives fails, the CEO needs to find a solution quickly. He or she should take charge and find a new senior marketing executive.
3. Consequence is what happens when a leader acts. With apologies to Sir Isaac Newton, every leadership action does not have an equal and opposite reaction. Very often a CEO decision is designed to turn the enterprise around or keep it on course; a front-line manager's decisions are the equivalent of trimming the sails. A CEO who makes too many decisions not only creates lots of activity, specifically churn, he also undermines the authority of other senior leaders.
Some other observations:
- Hands-on leadership is good for crisis or managing a tough situation.
- Standing front and center is good when managing transformation and radical change.
- Working to build consensus is effective when you have the luxury of time and the opportunity to groom emerging leaders. And when the risk of failure is low.
Employing a style or knowing how and when to get involved comes with experience. Newly appointed executives are eager to put their stamp on their tenure and often unloose a bundle of initiatives. Too often many fail because the organization was unprepared, or more precisely the context and circumstance were not right.
The good news is that savvy leaders soon get their sea legs and learn that often the best way to accomplish is to pull back and let others take the lead. At the same time such leaders know that when the stakes are high, they must act with alacrity as well as authority.
Getting the balance â€" hands on versus hands off â€" right does not come overnight but by paying attention to context, circumstance and consequence a leader can learn to get it right.
Related:
- What Every Exec Needs to Know about Image Management
- Write a Cover Letter That Gets Noticed
- How to Achieve a Turnaround
image courtesy of flickr user, L-plate big cheese
