What happens when you abuse your authority?

Julio is a newly hired Chief Executive Office of a large business conglomerate. Upon assumption of his new job his first directive was to issue a memorandum that declares all middle level management position vacant. 

His memo was not well received by the middle managers of his organization because it was unjust and unnecessary. The middle managers further stated that if would have been better if the new CEO and his underlings had conducted first an audit of every middle managers performance. So that he could find out first who were to be replaced and who were to be retained.

Since the middle managers thought that Mr. Julio was abusing his authority. They protested about it by wearing protest tee shirt that denounces the arrogance of the new CEO. And the workers union sympathized with them by having sit-down strikes during noon breaks.           

Therefore the newly hired CEO’s attention was called by the board of directors. And he was made to explain how come that instead of creating a order and stability in his organization he instead created chaos and problems. His lengthy explanation did not satisfy the board of directors, thus he was fired!

Arrogance much less abuse of authority has no place in leadership and except for a very few exceptions, a leader should always be democratic. He/she should never give orders based on his/her whims and caprices for it could weaken his/her position of leadership.

We have to bear in mind that a leadership position is not a permanent position in an organization. It is always an evolving and dynamic position of authority. This could change anytime the moment the leader or manager begins to abuse it or when he/she exhibits incompetence. -  Marino J. Dasmarinas     

A Leader should seek silence and isolation once in a while

Do you agree that a leader should once in a while seek silence and isolation?

A leader most of his working hours is always with his people, he guides, gives direction, motivates, leads by example, talks and consults and so on. With these manifold functions it may seem that he has no more time to think about the welfare of his people and the organization that he holds.    

A good and effective leader should seek silence and isolation once in a while even for a brief period of time everyday. This may seem odd but a good leader should find time to be alone everyday preferably early in the morning. For what reason? For the reason that it is during this short periods of isolation that he is able to effectively think how to plan the future of his organization and the people that he leads.

 By nature we humans can concentrate and effectively think when we are alone with nobody disturbing us. Take for example a painter, a painter cannot effectively create his obra if there are people around him. He needs silence and isolation so that he could bring to reality what is in his mind. This is always the scenario for a painter: he needs silence and isolation to bring to a breathing reality his artistic vision.

The same is true with a good and effective leader. He should once in a while seek silence and isolation. So that he could develop an effective master plan for his organization.  Within these periods of silence and isolation the leader thinks about strategies and methods of leadership that would be effective for his organization.

Thus, great and successful leaders even for a brief period of time are loners too. They need silence and isolation because it’s within this span of time where they grind their minds to come-up with effective organizational strategies that could best help them obtain success for their organization. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

John’s unorthodox style of leadership by example

What is leadership by example? It’s walking and doing your talk, it’s pushing your people to do the job on hand with you in-front leading them. It’s the willingness to lead your subordinates no matter the risk involved.

 Therefore, successful leaders are those who lead by example and not those who lead by remote control. When you lead by example you inspire your subordinates to follow you. You are like a magnet magnetizing your subordinates to be close to you. Why? This is for the simple reason that you as a leader serves as a living example and inspiration to your people.

John is a newly hired Chief Executive Officer, he was primarily hired for his reputation of leadership by example. During his first day at work he noticed that the comfort room of their office was dirty. So he asked the janitor where is the detergent powder and the scrubbing brush.

After John was told where the cleanser and brush were kept. He rolled-up his sleeves picked-up the instruments for cleaning and went directly to the comfort room to clean it. The highest person in the organizational hierarchy was doing the lowest form of work in the organization!

Many of us may laugh at his style of leadership by example. But it’s his unorthodox approach of sending a message to the people of his new organization that he means business. And he is very much willing to tackle even the lowest job to bring his new organization to the promised land of profitability and prominence. 

In his succeeding days at work John was always the first to report for work and the last to leave. Except for the authorized work break he was always focused in his work as the captain of his organization. He shunned Facebook at work!

His work ethic rubbed off to every person in his organization. The workers who were lazy and lacking in initiative were now hardworking and always willing to learn. The organization on the brink of closing was now enjoying profitability and prominence in its industry of business. 

The workers who would sneak to do facebook never did facebook at work anymore.  And the comfort room? The once upon a time dirty comfort room was always spick and span. Behaviors, attitudes and the culture of incompetence were transformed because of John’s unorthodox style of leadership by example.

What is your unorthodox style of leadership by example?  – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

The flawed recruitment and promotion policy

Do you have a competent human resource?

Dionesia is a human resource manager of a government office. If there was a need for an employee to be hired in their department she normally would ask her officemates, friends and subordinates  to recommend her anyone they knew and for as long as they meet the minimum qualification they usually are immediately hired.

Same as when there is a promotion, it doesn’t go through the usual stringent process of selection. What Dionesia does is to promote somebody  who is recommended by someone powerful in and outside of their office.

This has been her culture for so many years: source her office need of human resource from her officemates, friends and subordinates. And promote people with powerful connections.

After a few years Dionesia noticed that their human resource was performing poorly. And their work attitude and dedication were also not good enough.  Bothered by these findings she hired an Organizational Development consultant to ferret out the root cause of their human resource’s poor behavioral and motivational problem.

After a series of interviews and in-depth examination of their recruitment and promotion procedure. The OD consultant recommended to her to immediately replace their patronage and connection based recruitment and promotion policy. For the simple reason that it was the root cause of their problems.

As to their present crop of lazy and incompetent work force. The OD consultant recommended that they go through a series of especially designed values and motivation oriented seminars. If they mend their ways they shall continue with their employment. 

Otherwise appropriate and legally allowed actions should be taken to reassign them, demote them or even separate them from the organization.

Isn’t this also the problem of many organizations today especially government organizations? Whose tendency is to gravitate toward patronage and power based recruitment and promotion?

When we veer away from the standard and time tested method of recruitment and promotion. And replace it with patronage and power based scheme.  There would be incompetent and lazy workforce and there would be breakdown of discipline.

If the organization is government it will not be able to provide the expected excellent service. If the organization is privately owned, this organization will eventually cease to operate. And the culprit is the human resource manager who used a flawed method of recruitment and promotion.

Do you have a competent Human Resource? -  Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Sex maniacs in your workplace

Virginia is a twenty something married woman who was working temporarily in a government office. She was young, beautiful and intelligent thus everyone took notice of her. The head of the government office saw her and he immediately offered her a permanent job. She excitedly grabbed the opportunity and he became her immediate superior.

After a few days at work Virginia noticed her boss salaciously glancing at her as if to send a message that he is very much interested to covet her. Two weeks had passed her boss asked her if he could have the telephone number of her husband so that he could call and ask her husband’s permission for her to render overtime work.

To make a long story short, the husband believing that it was an honest to goodness work allowed her to render overtime. While rendering overtime work her boss suddenly grabbed her and tried to kiss her. After which she slapped him with all her might and run away, the next day she filed a sexual harassment complaint against her boss.

There are many sex maniacs in the workplace who would initially pretend to be nice respectful and gentleman. And majority are men: Evil men and men with diabolical minds.

They would hide their beastial desire/s by pretending to be gentleman and nice yet their minds are filled with filth. Thus, they will start to create a situation where they could capture their prey.

He may start by asking his prey to render overtime work with him or by asking his prey to accompany him to meetings and other office engagements. The prey may even be asked to join an office task force with him. All these he does to soften the guard of his prey and to create a positive self image for himself.

Another instance where he will try to begin his evil scheme is during office team buildings, office engagements, parties and so forth. For example, during group picture or awarding ceremony, this sex maniac in your workplace will try to extend his arm and put it on your shoulder or do other things to touch you simply to test if you would allow it or not. The moment you allow it you are already feeding the desire of this evil man with a diabolical mind.  

He will try to probe further up to what extent he could advance his carnal desires. And when he feels that he could push it to the limit he would try very hard to do it so that he could commit his evil desire. 

But why are there sex maniacs in the workplace in the first place? This is for the simple reason that there are willing female victims, victims who do not complain and who willingly dance to the diabolical beat of these evil men and sex starved maniacs!

However, the moment you immediately resist, the moment you refuse whatever attractive traps that he lays before you. And the moment you rebuke and shout to the whole world his evil and insidious ways. This sex maniac in your workplace will immediately be put in the wall of ignominy and forever suffer for his evil and bestial actions.

Don’t fall prey to this evil and sex maniac in your workplace. Immediately rebuke this salivating devil  no matter who he is and no matter how high and mighty he is in your workplace.

Is there a sex maniac in your workplace disguised as a gentle and respectful man? - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Should a Leader be vindictive?

There is a story of a man who was promoted to become the president of a big business corporation. Prior to his promotion he was first strictly evaluated by the Board of Directors of the organization. Those who were opposing his promotion were given the space to talk against him most specifically about his moral fitness for the position.

But because of his sterling performance the BD did not put much value to the valid accusation, thus the man was still promoted. Immediately upon his assumption of office he arrogantly cursed those who opposed him and he made life difficult for them in the organization.

Soon after it created a wedge in the company which resulted to the company’s missing its goals and targets. His arrogance also created factionalism among his subordinates: those who were for him and those who were against him.

After two months his attention was called by the board of directors and he was told to improve the organizational climate and achieve the targets of his organization. But the problem persisted and he was eventually told by the board of directors to resign from his position.

What if he did not become vindictive? What if he simply called for a meeting with those who were opposing him. And extended his hand in reconciliation and told them to move forward and let bygones be bygones? He could have effectively governed his office and in the process achieved its organizational targets.   

Vindictiveness is arrogance it's also power and ego tripping, therefore it has no place in an organization more so in leadership. The leader is only dividing his organization by being vindictive thus this will result in the polarization of his people which will result in the failure of his organization.   

A good and effective leader must be humble, he should be a uniting and not a dividing factor in his organization and most importantly he must not be vindictive. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

President elect Rodrigo Duterte’s communication style

After nine days we now have a new president in waiting in the name of Mr. Rodrigo Duterte. Why was he very successful in communicating his message of change, discipline and honest governance to the Filipino electorate?

Duterte employed simple and ordinary language, language which can easily be understood by the ordinary folks as well as the educated. He communicated himself with authority and conviction and as someone who understands the plight of everyone.

 He also presented himself as himself, in other words what you see is what you get. He presented himself as an iron fisted candidate who will not hesitate to combat, criminality and the menace of illegal drugs. This has been the identity of president elect Duterte even when he was still a mayor for many years in the city of Davao.

By presenting himself as a simple man, by using simple language, by not hiding beneath an identity that was not himself and by presenting himself as a strong leader. He connected with the Filipino people and he effortlessly communicated his message of change and discipline. Thus, Duterte was elected as the next president.    

What can leaders and managers learn from president elect Rodrigo Duterte’s communication style?

1   1.  Use simple language when communicating with your subordinates.

2      2. Be yourself and be sincere don’t pretend whom you’re not.

3    3.  Be simple in your appearance so that your subordinates can identify themselves with you.

 4. Communicate with authority and conviction. – Marino J. Dasmarinas