You Get the Organization that You Deserve

As a manager, you have full control over the organization that you lead. Whether you are a CEO, a department head, or a team leader, you shape the team that you lead. As the leader, you have the ability to select the members of your team, to delegate anything and everything, and to choose how and where you spend your time and efforts. Your organization is the result of those choices. You get the organization that you deserve.

Organizations mirror the styles of their leaders, and management style is reflected in the makeup and morale of the team. Here are two extreme examples that illustrate my point:

Manager #1 

• he/she makes most decisions and controls all work effort.
• he/she insists upon excellence from his/her team members.
• he/she is the strongest contributor on the team and successfully completes the most difficult tasks. 
• he/she spends time monitoring and correcting the work of low performers.
• he/she easily answers the most difficult questions.
• he/she spends most of his/her time doing.
• when things do not go according to plan, he/she steps in and takes on a portion of the work.
• he/she does whatever it takes to keep things on track.

Manager #2 

• he/she defines the overall goals and procedures and helps others to make decisions.
• he/she tries to fit team members into roles where they can excel.
• he/she builds a strong team with the necessary skills & talents.
• he/she removes low performers from the team.
• he/she asks questions and helps others come up with the answers.
• he/she spends most of his/her time coaching and mentoring.
• when things do not go according to plan, he/she provides encouragement and helps his/her team to make corrections.
• he/she does whatever it takes to build a great team.

Who do you think has the more successful team?

Who do you think is more satisfied in their work?

Who would you rather work for?

You get the organization that you deserve.  If you do not like the way things are, change them.