A good Leader/Manager is also a good follower

There is a story about Mario a newly hired clerk in advertising company. One of the many qualities that were very evident about Mario was his competence, obedience and follower mindset. With these positive attributes Mario rose from the ranks and eventually became a manager and a leading voice in their organization.

Many organizational managers/leaders rose from the ranks as such they are used at following orders. They don’t only follow they also do with competence whatever task that they are assigned to do.

It may seem unthinkable for many but the reality is managers/leaders are also followers not only in the sense that they rose from the ranks. The truth of the matter is every leader has also that somebody who leads him/her. Who would tell him/her what to do and who would demand output as well.

Let us take for example a first level manager or supervisor who leads his operating employees. He/she is also accountable to his middle manager. As such he follows directives from his middle manager.

The middle manager takes order from the top management and he sees to it that he implements with competence the task assigned by the top management. The top management is accountable to whom? He’s accountable to the board of directors and he implements also the collegial decisions of the board.

We see that every leader in an organization takes direct or indirect orders from persons who occupy a higher position than her/him. What is the relevance of a leader follower relationship?

A good follower sooner or later will eventually become a manager/leader. It may take time but it will surely come. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

On disciplining your subordinates

Margaret is a newly hired manager in a call center company. Being younger than his subordinates he was in a quandary on how he would discipline them whenever they violate the established norms of their organization.

Employed properly, without bias and swiftly a disciplinary action could straighten an errant behavior. Employed with the intention to simply shame a subordinate a disciplinary action  could immediately backfire to the one who is imposing it. 

So how would you go about in disciplining an errant subordinate? The first that you should do is you have to discipline in private with you present and the errant subordinate only. Your action should focus on the offense alone and not the person involve. For example, if the offense is his/her being noisy in the workplace which disturbs the concentration of his/her co-workers.

By all means focus your disciplinary action on his/her being noisy never try to delve into his/her personal character.  For the simple reason that a disciplinary action must always point to the offense and not the person involve in that offense. 

After all has been said, ask the person involve on what solution he/she could suggest to heal the offense. After listening to the suggestion and if you are satisfied treat it as a closed issue and move forward.

If you are not satisfied with the suggestion it is incumbent upon you as a manager/leader to craft or create a useful solution that would solely focus on the offense and not the person. -  Marino J. Dasmarinas    

A basic motivation tool called Human Relation

Do you know how to exercise basic Human Relation?

In an organizational setting, there are managers/leaders who do not know how to exercise proper human relations towards their subordinates. They think that by virtue of the position that they occupy in the organizational hierarchy they would already be able to motivate their people. However, it doesn’t work that way.

Managers/leaders should know basic human relations for the simple reason that this is one of the most effective yet untapped motivational tools that they could employ in the exercise of their function/s.

For example, instead of waiting for your subordinates to start a conversation to enhance your professional bond; why not start it yourself? It will not hurt your position as a boss if you’ll initiate little conversation with your people. It would even enhance your reputation as an approachable manager/leader.

Instead of waiting for your people to smile at you when you cross paths in the office why not smile at them first? When you see your people in the hallways or in the canteen why not say: “Hi” or “Hello” for them to know that you recognize them.

These pointers are simple and very basic motivational tools that use simple human relations. That would enhance your reputation as a people oriented and approachable leader/manager.

Therefore, without you knowing it you already have a very motivated workforce. Simply because you used one of the simplest yet very effective motivational tool for your employees which is basic human relation. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Why are humble leaders successful and revered?

A young priest asked Saint Teresa of Calcutta: “To whom do you attribute your success as a leader?  Saint Teresa said to the young priest, “My success in this endeavor has nothing to do  about me, I am a non-entity here this is all from God and all about the love of God.”

Humble leaders like Saint Teresa of Calcutta is always revered, always remembered and not forgotten. Why? This is for the reason that they don’t own to themselves their success. They always point to someone who greatly influenced them and someone whom they greatly respect and follow. They also always point to circumstances and situation that made it easier for them to become a successful leader.

Humble Leaders don’t think of themselves as somebody who dispenses power, authority and influence. They think of themselves as servants, they are always present and ready to serve. Present not to publicize themselves but to minimize themselves through their acts of service and humility. In the process of minimizing/humbling themselves they are greatly albeit silently revered and respected.  

It’s hard for many of us to understand why a humble leader is a servant. But Servanthood is the truest essence and meaning of successful leadership. There can be no successful leadership without Servanthood and Humility.

Many organizational leaders/managers are not successful in their function of leadership. For the simple reason that they lack humility and the mentality of a servant. However, what does it mean to be humble? Or how could we become humble leaders and how are we going to live the life of a servant in an organization where we are supposed to be the leader?

Basically, we could become humble leaders if we are not conscious with our position in an organization. For example, being the boss, leaders/managers are usually used to being served and being the first in everything amongst many.

A humble leader with a servant mentality will never allow himself/herself to be served and to be the first in everything. Instead of being served he/she would be willing to serve. And instead of being first in everything he/she would happily allow himself/herself to become the least amongst many. 

Humble leaders are never arrogant, they don’t speak based on impulse and they don’t use vulgar words. They instead carefully process first what they are going to say and do. 

They think through it and if they find out that what they will say would never hurt the feelings and sensibilities of their subordinates they then say it. -  Marino J. Dasmarinas

Favoritism in the workplace

Do you have favorites in your workplace? They are normally the ones whom you always handpick to make your workload lighter and easier.

One of the many mistakes that a manager/leader does is to play favorites among his subordinates. These lucky fellows are untouchable in the organization for they are the chosen and favored ones by their manager/leader.  

For example, if they are always late for work they are not worried that they would be sanctioned by their manager/leader for they know that they’re the favored ones. On the other hand if the employees who commit the same offense are not members of his favored circle the manager/leader would immediately notice this by swiftly calling their attention. So, where is justice and fairness here?

Having favorites in the workplace is always self-defeating and it will not unify the organization neither would it help the organization achieve its goals. In fact this could start the disintegration and eventual downfall of the organization.  

If this inequitable treatment continuous the non favorite subordinates would naturally notice this and complain. If the manager/leader would continue to turn a deaf ear to their complaint. They would naturally let loose their displeasure and they will soon think of ways to stop the manager/leader’s behavior of favoritism.

There are countless repercussions that await managers/leaders who practice favoritism. For example the manager/leader may get the cold shoulder treatment from his subordinates. Another one is they may withhold their work output and so forth.

In the creative minds of those who are mistreated the consequence for a manager/leader who practice favoritism is boundless. It is therefore very wise to treat your subordinates equitably. 

Avoid the mistake of having favored employees for the simple reason that it’s counterproductive and self-defeating to your function as a manager/leader. - Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Effective Planning: The vehicle for the achievement of your Goal/s

Effective Planning is a very important component in the achievement of organizational goals. We cannot speak of successful goals without carefully assessing the plans on how to best achieve it.

A goal is a time bound future target that we all wish to accomplish. However, how come that there are goals that are not achieved? The answer lies with ineffective planning. We would not be able to speak of successfully achieved goals without planning effectively to achieve it.

Effective planning is the vehicle that would bring us to the realization of our goals since without it there would be no realization of goals. Planning is a management function that involves setting goals and effectively using every means available on how best to achieve them.

 For example, a sales manager whose goal is to increase his sales output by ten percent (10%) for the next quarter. She/he must see to it that there is a carefully laid out plan that would effectively support the realization of her/his goal. Perhaps, she/he can educate his sales staff on how to discover untapped markets. She/he can also use motivational methods on his sales staff or close monitoring of their outputs and so forth.

An effective Manager/Leader is someone who always see to it that whenever there are Organizational Goals to be achieved. There are also complementary Plans that would effectively support the achievement of said organizations Goal/s. - Marino J. Dasmarinas 

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