The title caught my attention right away. This unique and even counterintuitive advice poked my curiosity. Many books on organizational structures focus on the central role of managers, viewing them as the major force behind their company’s success. I like the author’s idea that rather than micromanaging and believing that they have the most commitment and responsibility in the company, leaders should focus on strategic decisions and empower their people to take charge.
The Reality of Today’s Leaders
Many believe that the leaders of today carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. But the author of Do Nothing! dares to say it out loud. There is certainly something wrong with the system. There are too many corporate leaders who have burnouts, who are crumbling under the stress load, who complain about long hours they have to put in, and yet find no courage to change anything. They simply work too hard, says Mr. Murnighan. They make sure they can be reached 24 hours a day every day of the week, and tend to get personally involved in most decisions related to the responsibilities of their team members. You know it, we know it and everybody knows it, so why is it still the case? We all agree that it’s counterproductive…
If the leaders could stop trying to micromanage, they would realize that their team members have great skills. As soon as their employees have the opportunity to take the initiative and to do their work their way, they become more efficient in delivering results. What the author states is perfectly in line with one’s fundamental psychological need for control over the environment. It is difficult to perform well when your boss is continuously looking over your shoulder, telling you what to do and how to do it. By giving sufficient freedom to the members of your team in performing their tasks, you will witness new approaches take shape, maybe different from your way of doing things, yet just as effective in obtaining results.
The book is packed with practical strategies and techniques that are already more or less part of the business reality, depending on the leader’s level of maturity. Here are some that I find particularly interesting.
Peter Principle
Although the name of the principle may not sound familiar, it is nevertheless an integral part of our reality. This concept states that the selection of people for promotion is based on their performance in the current jobs. Thus moving a highly competent person up the hierarchy ladder to positions with more responsibilities – for example a leadership role – will eventually result in his promotion to a role which is beyond his level of competence. We all know that many employees who are skilled and efficient in their jobs often get promoted, based on their knowledge and skills, to positions that however do not suit them. It is down to the leader to align the skills, abilities and aspirations of the employees with the right positions within the organization. Seniority and current performance must not be the only selection criteria for promotions.
Find the Right People and Learn to Let Go
One of the key responsibilities of a leader is to identify the person in his team who has the skills to accomplish a task or to take full ownership of a project, and then let him do the work. If you continue to impose your ways, the level of performance and happiness of this employee may be affected. Also, pay attention in the distribution of responsibilities within the team. Often a team has one or two top-performers who can take on virtually any assignment. But it does not mean that they have to be your go-to resource for each and every project. Some less critical tasks may very well be completed by employees who are somewhat less skilled or effective, if perfection of execution is not a must. There is a saying: Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Your best people could thus focus their energy and time on the more critical tasks.
Help Yourself, and Heaven Will Help You
Heaven apart… one of the crucial roles of a leader is to help his team succeed. The better the leader knows his team members, and helps them grow personally and professionally, the more performing his troops will become. It is important to help the employees identify and apply efficient work strategies for success. Unfortunately, if the leader is too busy getting his hands in each and every task, he will have no time left to do his own work, to plan for the future of his department or his company, or he will have no choice but to put in long hours to cover every aspect.
”I spend 40% of my time reiterating the corporate objectives, 40% developing the skills of others, and 20% doing the rest.”
Jack Welch
How do you allocate your time?
Positive Change Management Starts with Yourself
Change management is one of the most important challenges facing companies today. One of the aspects of the often forgotten change management is what we live ourselves when we take on a leadership role. It is not easy to switch to the new responsibilities and to let go of our previous duties. Awareness is necessary, but also is a real will and determination to change our routine. Ask yourself: Does the role of a leader make me happy or would I prefer to spend most of my time working in my field of expertise? For example, while you are an excellent technician, you may not be the right person to be in charge of the department. Food for thought… If becoming a manager is indeed your aspiration, then learn to manage this important change in your life.
If you wish to learn more on the subject or to find out other tricks to become an empowering leader for your employees, I invite you to read the book Do Nothing! or to contact our team of experts to support you in your team optimization efforts.
“Do Nothing! Discover the Power of Hands-Off Leadership” by J. Keith Murnighan
Sylvie Grégoire, MBA, CRHA, Certified in NeuroLeadership
President, Totem Performance organisationnelle
