Summer Reading Series Final Installment (4 of 4)
Read Installment 1 and Installment 2 and Installment 3
Click to download the entire 4 part series as a PDF
Some months after they had implemented the new leadership plan, Frank talked with Pat about how well the improvement process was going. He reported that energy and commitment levels around the organization were rising. “We are starting to see a big drop in absenteeism, complaints, and service/quality problems,” Frank enthused.
“People are really getting into things around here. Yesterday, when I talked to Steph from accounting during their Hawaiian theme day, she had just come back from visiting a client. She went on and on about what a different place this was becoming. ‘It’s sure a lot more fun to come to work now,’ she told me.” “There’s just one thing,” Frank continued. “I’m spending so much time out of my office now that I am getting less and less of my own work done.” “Last week my boss saw me in the parking lot and asked if I was taking more time off! Seems he had been trying to see me and always found me out of my office.”
Pat looked at Frank and asked, “What do you think your real leadership work is?” “What do mean?” “I mean, you have been turning around the spirit of your organization and bringing a deeper sense of meaning and fun to people here. That’s leadership. Shouldn’t you delegate and develop people to do more of the day-to-day work?”
Frank thought for a moment. “You’re right. My work is caring for the context. My role is working on the business, not in the business. I need to explain that to my boss and help him see how the turnaround we’re now producing here comes from leadership, not micromanagement. Perhaps I can even influence him to take a look at his leadership…”
Next week: Series Summary and full PDF of series
Click to download the entire 4 part series as a PDF
Adapted from The Leader’s Digest, by Jim Clemmer.
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