Zais and Peters provide an apt reminder that leaders have the responsibility to treat people with the utmost respect and dignity. Every leader works with things, ideas and people. Without ideas, things are not created and without people there are no ideas. To achieve their goals, smart leaders recognize that the morale of their people is of paramount importance. In What Works for Me: Sixteen CEO’s Talk About Their Careers and Commitments, Thomas R. Horton quotes Richard A. Zimmerman, chairman and CEO of Hershey Foods:
Among the CEOs I know, the most successful ones have a very positive outlook. Every CEO has to be a cheerleader. At times you may feel that you can list a series of disaster scenarios for your company, and certainly you are in the best position to do that; still; you have to be a cheerleader at least part of the time…OK, we know it is going to be tough, but let’s get at it! You need always to be encouraging and perhaps that is one of the most admired attributes that I see in most CEOs.
To ensure high morale, the Tandem computer company adopted this simple five-point creed:
1. All people are good.
2. People, workers, management and the company are all the same thing.
3. Every single person in the company must understand the essence of the business.
4. Every employee must benefit from the company’s success.
5. You must create an environment where all of the above can happen.
Jim Treybig, President and CEO of Tandem Computers, substantiates this credo by declaring, “Everything starts with the manager. Does he care about people?”
And, from the ancient philosophy of Lao Tzu comes this modern advice:
The group will not prosper if the leader grabs the lion’s share of the credit for the good work that has been done.
The group will rebel and resist if the leader relies on strict controls in an effort to make things come out a certain way.
The group members will become deadened and unresponsive if the leader is critical and harsh.
The wise leader is not greedy, selfish, defensive, or demanding. That is why the leader can be trusted to allow any event to unfold naturally.
People leave or love their jobs for a number of reasons. Considerable research has been conducted to determine how companies can increase their intention rates. Aside from massive data, a simple question will address both loving and leaving a job. How important do people feel in their work?
What have you as a leader done to show your employees how important they are?
When was the last time you made it possible for people to be proud of their achievements?
How often do you celebrate success? Pass on authority? Provide recognition for a job well done?
What are you as a leader doing to make work satisfying, challenging, and interesting?
Robert Townsend, former CEO of Avis Rent-A-Car, summarizes and encapsulates our thinking on what makes a leader with this comment:
The real essence of leadership is to care about your people, to help them get as much as they can out of the business environment, and to have as much fun as they can. Anybody who can do that—and really mean it—is a leader.
3. What Derails Fast-Track Executives?
Why do some executives perish while others flourish? The American Management Association conducted in-depth interviews with 41 executives and found that these traits often lead to failure:
1. Insensitivity to co-workers.
2. Aloofness and arrogance.
3. Tendency to misuse information conveyed in confidence.
4. Inability to control ambition.
5. Inability to delegate assignments or promote teamwork.
6. Inability to staff effectively.
7. Inability to think strategically.
8. Overdependence on mentors.
4. A Leader
I went on a search to become a leader.
I searched high and low. I spoke with authority. People listened. But alas, there was one who was wiser than I, and they followed that individual.
I sought to inspire confidence, but the crowd responded, “Why should I trust you?” 感谢您阅读《Politics 》一文，出国留学网(liuxue86.com)编辑部希望本文能帮助到您。
