What is Your Managerial Type?!
One day you will meet that -typical- form of manager -if you haven’t already- that enjoys doing meetings every now and then for nothing but replicating the same headache words of all what we should do to save his title and reserve him the next promotion in line which is not necessarily deserved.
I remember one specific time, where our team had the first meeting with our new titled manager. She was that kind of perfectly loyal employees whom the companies suck up their fresh years till they are no more of use. And in a company where HR had never taken place, It was the ideal opportunity for any manager to set his moodily changing rules depending on which side of the scenario is the beneficial would be, and she was definitely that one who won’t miss that opportunity to decide what shall be a taboo -exceptioning herself of course- and what shall be not, and let me tell you that a new rule was coming out every day and it wasn’t more stable than the winter moods.
At that meeting, She was telling us more about her self and her achievements in her pre-leadership experience. She was proudly showing off how she had negotiated with her upper management to deduct from one employee’s salary four working days instead of one day, as he was absent on that day of which she had ridiculously given herself the right to permit its absence with no justification at all.
I can’t deny sitting there silently noticing the reflection of each one of my colleagues, and it was absurd to see that all what had been on their faces was only the sign of warning when you feel that the worst times is yet to come rather than any other indignation or critical approach, why am I the only one who is literally disgusted!!
I had asked myself many questions after that incident on what type of managers I would be if I continued to work in such company and if I would consider choosing a different approach I see myself to be, could that get me any close to a managerial title if I didn’t follow their methodology.
I always rethink of the different approaches between team leaders and managers that the management books have mentioned, and the reality that I have faced in which every new manager tends to show off how much power he has and how far he can come in manifesting what he can do, supposing that it is the only way to take control and imposing his commands without taking others’ perspectives in mind.
But I think the one thing those leaders always quite fall to realize is that both of them has to believe that the responsibilities that come with the position, define their title -not the opposite-, and the way they choose to perform those responsibilities define who they are. And if you have ever wandered the way you will take charge of your employees whether you would like them to be in a continuous cautious of you or to win their friendship, you might choose to win their admiration first, and you will definitely have it all.
In a nutshell, I believe that the real power doesn’t exist in exerting out most of the power that our managerial level reserves by default, but it is having all the power that we could have and yet genuinely choose not to use it.