Are you a Leader or a Nanny?

Some managers should wear bonnets and carry diaper bags, because in their role as a leader, they function more like a nanny.

While their teammates and the organization overall would benefit greatly if they applied the accountability skills of The Nanny on the popular television show, that's not normally the case.

I'm taken aback as I visit businesses on consulting missions and see managers nearly begging their people to do their jobs. They sweet talk, entice, and cajole, but rarely ever lay it on the line, follow through with consequences, or care enough to confront their people with tough love. If this describes you, keep this in mind: at the end of the day, your job is not to make people happy; it is to help them get better. Once they get better, they normally become happier. And if improving their skills and income doesn't make them happy then you have the wrong people!

Is it more fun when everyone is happy? Of course it is. Is it necessary that everyone be happy? Absolutely not! Remember, you're a leader; not a clown, a diplomat, or therapist. One of the most liberating days of my life was when I gave up trying to make everyone happy and instead focused on doing what was right for the organization, and the individual overall. I started stretching and stopped compromising. I demanded greater effort and accepted fewer excuses. I either got people better, or I got better people.

If you truly care about people, you won't be easy on them and watch them fail to reach their potential on your watch. Instead, you will do the following:

1. Be resolutely clear about what you expect.
2. Make certain that what you expect stretches the person and that they cannot accomplish their objectives with a "business as usual" approach.
3. Give fast, honest feedback. Care enough to confront people when they are off track. Remain respectful and constructive. Never make it personal. At the same time, quickly reward them when they do well.
4. Hold them accountable. This often means that consequences are established and enforced for undesirable outputs and behaviors. If you want to change a behavior, you've got to change the consequence for that behavior.
5. Lead by example. Show what good performance looks like. Hold yourself accountable.
6. Stretch your people with new opportunities. Look for ways to take them out of their comfort zone by broadening their discretion. Train them so they have the skills to achieve these new tasks.
7. Give them what they earn and deserve, nothing more or less. Giving someone something for nothing eventually makes them good for nothing! Being fair means that they get what they deserve. Otherwise, people become spoiled and entitled, putting in the bare minimum of effort and expecting a maximum reward in return.
8. Accept explanations but not excuses. An explanation is when someone explains what happens and takes responsibility for it. Excuses are made by those who blame someone or something for their failure.
9. Be available. You impact people by engaging them, not by hiding from them.
10. Be consistent. Consistency in these disciplines builds credibility and strengthens your culture.

Which of these areas do you need to toughen up on? Reevaluate your leadership style and role. Are you a nanny or a leader? Do you spend too much time hugging, burping, nursing, and coddling your people? Or are you committed to helping them become better with high expectations, tough love leadership, and strong accountability? Are your words and deeds consistent in this regard? If you talk like Bruce Lee, but walk like Sara Lee, it's time you start walking your talk.

Source: Dave Andersen DealerElite