‘The Fast Subject’ – Leadership & Management Essay
June 1, 2010 by Simon Oates (Admin)
Filed under Debate
‘The Fast Subject’ is a concept that many managers struggle to really get their head round. Chosen as one of the best in class, I’m proud to publish this fine example of a leadership essay from one of the top universities in the UK.
How the concept ‘fast subject’ (Thrift, 2000) embodies the idealised cultural image of success for management in the 21st century.
Thrift’s (2000) paper portrays a very distinct idea of the modern Western world; both as a whole and the world of work. It is key to remember that management feeds from the wider cultural environment – the world; it is not standing alone by itself. We need to know what is going on in the world to see what is going on in management, for example, assessment centres could be seen as the ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ of the world of work. Thrift also describes the ‘fast subject’, i.e. the manager that is capable of functioning effectively in this world; the author uses language such as “knowledge”, “creativity”, “innovation” and “younger” in relation to the fast subject and “faster”, “uncertain”, “performance” to describe the habitat of this modern subject. When discussing the fast subject, it is important not to overlook the environment in which the subject lives/works; it had been argued that managers are “the products of (increasingly engineered) circumstance” (Thrift, 2000 p. 677).
The ideal of the ‘fast subject’ embodies success in modern Western culture, according to Thrift’s (2000 p.678) paper, “the fast subject is a ‘style’ that many managers often want to attain”; advertisements for graduate careers and jobs have specific ideals so people aspire to meet the criteria. These job adverts are made by people like us for us; fast subject to fast subject. The advertisements speak to us, these people that companies are looking for are management’s idea of success, so this is what we strive for, this is the reason we go to university and get part time jobs and internships – it’s the ideal of work (and life) in the future.
The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers guide is the perfect collection of evidence of the idealised cultural image of success for management in the 21st century; the companies and jobs are portrayed using the language of the fast subject, they give the idea of mobility, youth, being trendy and modern. The three following examples have been taken from this guide.
The first example, taken from The Times guide is Lidl’s (p. 30) Graduate Management Programme advertisement. This advertisement uses all the language and buzz words of the ‘fast subject’ and 21st century culture, such as “star qualities”, “lead and inspire” and “world-class”. Thrift (2000 p. 680) makes the point that management events are “making the ‘invisible visible’” i.e. trying to measure and teach these intangible “star qualities” such as leadership and creativity. This gives the idea that these personality traits that make up a successful person can be taken on by a company, measured and nurtured, and will enable continued or increased success. This is attractive to the ‘fast subject’ because of the intangibility; other people in the world do not possess these qualities, only the elite ideal that management has created has the potential to have these traits inside of them. The fact they cannot be defined, taught of learned as well as simple things such as how to work a piece of machinery makes them special and anything that sets you above others in our culture is something we have been brought up to strive towards.
It is clear that quite a significant amount of thought goes into graduate recruitment, as management want to get the best people into their company and at the moment, the ‘fast subject’ is that person, and they respond to specific known language and images. Graduates are the future of management and at the minute the people coming out of universities are educated to be the way management wants them to be, i.e. Thrift’s subject. They have the most current and up-to-date knowledge and education on what management wants and are either taught the skills or are taught how to perform as though they possess them. It is probably that Lidl know that culturally, young and modern members of generation Y will not have them as their first choice employer, it will be somewhere trendy like Apple therefore they have to offer the chance to develop the skills that management as a whole wants, i.e. ‘fast subject’ skills.
The word “star” suggests that Lidl are looking for someone special, in modern day society we are obsessed with stars and celebrities; this advertisement says that you can be the “star” of the business world and gain all the associated benefits such as money to fund the lifestyle of this creature, but also the social benefits such as respect and interest from others.
Cadbury’s (p. 91) graduate jobs advertisement in the guide shows a reminder of the popular gorilla television advert for the firm’s products. This image links to our culture, what is cool and modern, again showing the link between the world of management and society overall. It is also recent, showing that it is aimed at young professionals who can do it all; they can gain a good degree whilst also being aware of what is going on socially around them. Along with using the expected language, the text includes the word “brand” which attracts prospective employees because they want to work for this company so when they tell people where they work, the people will know where it is and be interested.
At the bottom of this advertisement, it says “we love what we do. We think you will too”; this is typical of the view that the ‘fast subject’ holds of work, it is no longer simply a job, it is something you want to do when you get up in the morning. The job will not necessarily be as good as it sounds, but the words and pictures used appeal to the ‘fast subject’. Even those graduates with no interest in the world of management would find this appealing as the language used spills out into the rest of our culture as the language of a successful subject.
In modern society, there is increasing focus on the self; the improvement of the self, with models such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and reaching self-actualisation. We want to succeed at work, but to also have time to have a social life and spend the money we earn – this is one measure of success; we want to have time to have everything. Cadbury promises a graduate scheme that is “individual” and “personalised” therefore that must mean the ‘fast subject’ can not only thrive at work but they can also go out into the world and show it how successful they are, with their cars, homes and technologies. The text itself actually says “you’ll succeed”, which implies Cadbury (like the rest of the world) knows the measure of success and that it is applicable to all ‘fast subjects’.
The final point to make is that there is a disclaimer at the top of the page, stating “no gorillas were harmed in the making of this advert” which is an obvious point, so why make it? This goes back to the cool and trendy culture that we live in where we appreciate humour and making things that little bit less serious. This says, Cadbury is cool and who would not want to work there, if everyone wants to work there then those that do are successful; the successful ones are the ones that speak the language – the ‘fast subject’.
The final example has few, but still significant, words. Sky (p. 209) wants graduates to “discover your ideal habitat” which is a word frequently used when it comes to the ‘fast subject’. This new, mysterious creature needs a habitat in which to work, so Sky is saying they can offer this; it is not an office, it is not a workplace – the language draws the audience in; it is why the ‘fast subject’ finds it appealing. As management initiated the creation of this so-called ‘fast subject’ and the necessary traits and attributes it should only be right that management provides the perfect place for this new being to prosper.
The page gives no description of what Sky are looking for; it is implicit with the word “habitat”, this signals that they are looking for something different and unique, else they would have simply used the world workplace as essentially, that is what this so-called “habitat” is. Sky are looking for management’s creation of a successful human type that is so intelligent and culturally aware that they will know Sky wants them, so there is no need to explicitly state what is required. It gives the impression that Sky is superior, as it does not have to list what it wants from its applicants therefore the people that apply will know the appropriate language to use if they are a ‘fast subject’ so these are the people to consider as they will be suited to the “habitat”.
The phrase “make great leaps” obviously goes with the picture of the frog but to the ‘fast subject’ says Sky will allow you to become even more successful in your work life by quickly progressing, possibly onto promotions; showing that you are successful. As a culture we value language like this as it is a little bit different, not as mundane and ordinary as saying ‘you could get better and get promoted’.
The image itself gives the impression of being High Definition as it is very colourful and detailed; something a ‘fast subject’ comes to expect as they are successful in life therefore can afford such luxuries as HD televisions. The colours catch peoples’ attention, which is necessary to catch the interest of the ‘fast subject’ as they have so much potential inside of them, they want to be wanted as they could work in any of these fast paced environments. Regardless of where we begin in life, we all want to be successful and happy; no one grows up aspiring to live in poverty while watching how the ‘other half’ of society lives their lives. Sky understands what the ‘fast subject’ wants from life and work and therefore offers it in a way that would appeal to them, as management has created them this way.
The ‘fast subject’ links to the performance society we live in, these images, amongst others show us what the ideal model of success is and even if we do not fit this model, we can create a part of ourselves; a performance that does meet this given criteria. For example, we believe working for Lidl will make us successful, Lidl wants us to be “self-confident individuals” so that is what we are to them. This is the reason that we have come to the stage in society that we have; management knows what it wants and puts that out to the world, there are very few people out there that actually fulfil all the conditions so people pretend to be that; they perform. Eventually, with this happening so much, many more people aspire to this ideal which seems to be so good, however it is probably so impressive as it is all an act – it is like striving for perfection, even though we know we will never reach it.
These examples were chosen from the same book and are of the same media, so it is possible to compare them. They are all different, but possibly equally effective at attracting a ‘fast subject’ and potentially allowing them to reach a successful level in life. As a whole, the advertisement produced by Lidl is quite simple but it is straight to the point; it is ‘fast’ and the language is very important. Language however, is more important in the Cadbury advertisement, as there is more of if; therefore there are more of the buzz words and promises, however it would take longer to read than the other two. Finally, Sky are obviously aware of the language that society views as the language of successful management and use it. The image is clean and simple in the Lidl piece, whereas Cadbury’s is busy and the one from Sky is quite striking.
It does not matter what the design of the advertisement is like; the point is how or why they take off and are deemed as the image of success within western twenty first century society, culture and management. One thing that all these illustrations have in common is that they are all about “you” (the subject) not “us” (the business); they want to help you develop and become successful and in modern culture that is what we want, we think constantly about the self and could possibly overlook what we are expected to do for them. But this does not matter; success is about working for that well known company, taking on responsibilities and being where you feel you should be.
The idea of the ‘fast subject’ is merely a concept put forward by Thrift to explain what has happened within business and management this century. Brooks on the other hand, questions and mocks the myths of management with a sarcastic tone; it could be argued his viewpoint of the creature within the world of management is of the complete opposite of Thrift’s.
Brooks (2004) gives his opinion on what Thrift would call the ‘fast subject’ using very similar vocabulary, but a very different tone. “They are obsessed, they are passionate, they are driven, and they are totally nuts” (p. 216) and that “what matters is energy, discipline and focus” (p. 218). Brooks then goes on to tell a story about a modern businessman’s attachment to his mobile telephone (pp. 234-5) which is much less glamorous than the picture Thrift paints.
In a previous book, Bobos in Paradise (2000 p.104) Brooks describes “Latte Towns” which is where the ‘fast subject’ (or as Brooks describes them, “new upscale culture”) would live. The descriptions, such as “magnificent natural settings” makes the place sound very appealing and is where we as a culture would want to live if we could afford to do so, i.e. if we were a ‘fast subject’ and therefore successful. Although this is said with a negative tone, it is Brooks’ description of the ideals in the twenty first century world.
Overall, the idea of success within management has made its way out into the wider cultural context of the 21st century; what management views as a successful person is now what we in society believe to be a successful person. The vocabulary and images such as the high flier with the modern gadgets and the cool career in a well known popular branded business are no longer simply within the world of management.
Management has, over time, created the image of the ideal person to work in the increasingly fast paced business environment; they created this being so they know what it wants. Profits are the most important thing to most companies therefore if they can find a group of individuals who are motivated, dedicated etc. they have gained knowledge and the potential to increase profits. Management puts out this ideal, which Thrift calls the ‘fast subject’, to the world so the world begins to see this ideal and believe that is what successful looks like. In modern society, right now, the ‘fast subject’ is what we aim to be; it is the embodiment of success in the world of management. It has to be considered though, when we will move on and when the era of the ‘fast subject’ will end and whether it will end well. Thrift (2000 p.675) does not ignore the fact that ‘fast subjects’ “may well turn out to be fragile subjects, held together only at a cost”; all that is left is for the rest of the world to realise. Management created this subject; it is entirely possible that management will destroy it or the image too.
Word count: 2,616
Bibliography
Brooks, D. (2000) Bobos in Paradise , New York: Touchstone
Brooks, D. (2004) On Paradise Drive, New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks
The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2009-2010 (2009) High Fliers Publications
Thrift, N. (2000) ‘Performing Cultures in the New Economy’ in DuGay P. and Pryke M. Cultural Economy, London: Sage
How To Build a Powerful Team
January 30, 2010 by Simon Oates (Admin)
Filed under Teamwork
Welcome to the second article in a teamwork series at Leadership-Expert.co.uk. Within this series, we aim to bring you up-to-date theory on the fundementals and advanced techniques relating to teamwork in the modern organisation.
2. How Can I Build a Powerful Team?
Having good team players is key to great teams. No matter what other fancy stuff we do in the name of team building, if your team members are not good team players, managing the team will be quite a struggle.
How can good team players be developed?
Team players are usually the people that are known for sharing and hard work. This alone will not be sufficient as people also want to see their career progress and be recognized.
Then how do you focus people towards the team goals?
Being a team player often involves doing the right thing by not always having your self benefit in mind. Again, in this age of fast forward on careers and achievement, I cannot see how most people will accept this line. The question of “what is in it for me?” must be answered.
Team goals and objectives must be set. There is no compromise for this because there is no need for the team if not for the project. Now, for the team members. They must have their personal development goals also set. In some organizations, employee development plan is part of the people development process. In fact, people placement into projects are very much influenced by the employee development plans. If this has already happened and the team members are in line for career progress through this team assignment, then half the battle is won.
If this is not how they were assigned, then the project manager or the team leader can discuss with the team members on what are their development and career progression goals. Many a time, it is possible that by contributing to the project success, the team members would also make progress. The fact that you even bothered to find out what are their personal development goals, you would already have created a positive impression with the team members. Just this alone could make a difference in your team building efforts.
There will be times when the project goals and the team members’ plans are not in a similar direction. First thing you must do is to decide whether skill-wise this person fits into the team requirements. If not, do yourself and the team a favor and get a replacement for this person. You might also be doing this person a favor.
However, if it is not a skill mismatch, then understand this person’s aspirations and see if it is possible to assign some activities that will achieve these. Again, it will be a win-win-win-win situation for you, the team, the team members and especially the project which after all is what it is all about. Just caring enough for the individual will make the person contribute more to the project.
If despite all this, the team members still think that this project or team is not where they want to be in, then there is one other suggestion. It is not always that we can choose exactly what we want to do. But then, it is not always that we know what are the possibilities in our lives. Maybe, this is the opportunity that will bring something different that could lead to new possibilities. Suggest that they look for new skills and experiences that will become part of their resume for the next job.
Remind them of Napoleon Hill’s ” Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
This is not hype! How can it be hype if Napoleon Hill’s books are as popular now as they were years ago? But if the project or team leader thinks it is hype, then this is a difficult step for the leader.
As someone said ” I don’t care how much you know until I know how much you care”. I think one of the secrets in team building is caring not only for the project but also for each of the team members.
This is an article from guest author from Regina Maniam
7 Tips To Transform Leadership
December 19, 2009 by Simon Oates (Admin)
Filed under Leadership
A leader can take several forms in a number of different commercial situations, often when a person isn’t even “the one in charge”. If you find yourself in a group with tight deadline to meet, with no obvious leader around, the one who needs to be the boss just might be you. When this happens, what should you do and NOT do?
When people normally think of a leader in business they think of the cliche ‘boss’, but being a leader doesn’t require a fancy title, official recognition, and certainly not a specified background. In reality, leadership simple requires one individual to stand up, assert authority, and enable the team to achieve the target set.
How can someone who has not been anointed or appointed accomplish this? Here are some brilliant tips for those who suddenly find themselves in an position requiring unofficial leadership to be asserted:
Unofficial Tip 1 : Group Triage
A very important step for a leader is to comprehensively understand all the various tasks needing to be accomplished to reach the goal. They must ask the questions: Who is best at what? Who would be most effective where? Hopefully you will already know, but most of the time you will need to find out. This will be the case in temporary-team situations. So, clearly ask what they would be best at within the available tasks to accomplish? You’ll get honest answers, but sometimes the answer is not what they are best at, but what parts of the work they would rather do. If they are the only one to volunteer for a certain task, let them have it. If two or more chime in, then prompt them to discuss among themselves who would be better suited. If they amicably work it out between themselves; great, but often they will be still at loggerheads unless you listen carefully and make a quick decision at the outset. Things can always be changed around if intial allocations don’t work out.
Unofficial Tip 2: Tread Lightly
The leader does not need to be the smartest – or the fastest, or best looking. It could be anyone, but since it’s you standing up to be the unofficial leader, realize that others in the group may not agree. Simply proclaiming that you are in charge will cause more harm than good. Subtly is your best friend in the beginning of the transition from mob to team. Often, a leader can be created in the other’s eyes by simply being the first one to say, “Ok, so what do we do first?”. This is what I call practical leadership. Anyone can be given an honourary title, but people will still only look up to the person who can take charge.
Unofficial Tip 3: Walk First, Then Run
The first hurdle for an unofficial leader is to get the group talking. What are their ideas? What do they think is the best course to take? Of course if everyone agrees on one direction, then this stage is done, but that rarely happens. Most often there will be two different schools of thought. The leader should not take sides, but encourage discussion of opposing viewpoints and plans. Stay above the arguments to mediate and stimulate the flow of ideas. Soon, one course will become clear, or at least more feasible than the other. When this happens, you may be surprised to see everyone looking at you to give the final judgment on what to do. Already, you have become the lead person to go to in their subconscious minds. A simple mistake that many would-be leaders make in the early stages, is to use their new-found leader position to immediately begin pushing their own ideas upon the team. The best way to enforce leadership is to actually encourage and actively support the ideas of others to earn their trust, at least in the outset. If you have bold ideas, leave them for later.
Unofficial Tip 4: Not an Island
Realise that you don’t have to come up with a plan or best course of action all by yourself. You just have to pick the direction and get your people there. Or even better – let them carry themselves there! Recognise the best plan, even if it isn’t your own. Pay attention to complaints, and issues, but make sure to spot your own flaws as well. For the benefit of the team, volunteer for the job you are best suited for, even if it is one you don’t want to do. Remember that it is not about you being a leader, but your team accomplishing their goal and you are but one part of that team. If you are seen to be actively making personal sacrifices, then team members will have more sincere trust behind your later decisions – after having seen you are clearly not acting purely for personal gain.
Unofficial Tip 5: Motivate
A group with clearly defined capabilities to match all the tasks laid out, with an embraced purpose and definitive goal is ideal. However it is somewhat of a ‘dreamlike’ situation that may not often occur. If it was the norm, the real world wouldn’t really need many leaders! Once your team is all facing the same way, you will probably find that some need to be moving faster than the others. An unofficial timeline, with specific deadlines is a nice subtle way to show where each person is at and where they should be. A quiet, private, chat with the problem group member might help as well, but make sure your persona is that of a fellow group member worried about the project and their own part in it, NOT as the unofficial leader. Group cheers and celebrations when one person or another accomplishes their part will help get the lagging member moving. Remember, “problems in private, praise in public.”
Unofficial Tip 6: Following Your Lead
Nothing gets a bunch of people moving faster than someone heading off in the right direction. Ideally, the team moves forward together, but there’s almost always a winding up period. Set the example by attacking your part with enthusiasm, professionalism, and vigor. If they see you working hard, helping others, and generally doing everything you can to get the team to its goal, then they will follow suit. They will notice if you are cheerfully doing a job they know you don’t want to do. They will notice you listening to other team members, taking advice, and following directions. It will motivate them to do their part for the team and add to your role as unofficial leader.
Unofficial Tip 7: Not Omnipotent
Since you have no official power, there is nothing to back you up. You can’t hire, fire, or discipline anyone, so why should they listen to you? Remember, you will earn your leader position by what you do, not who you are. Since being a leader is not about ordering people around, you will spend most of your time suggesting the best possible course, or coaxing the others in the right direction. Your best course is to get your people to do what they need to do without them realizing you’ve done anything.
And finally: The Good Follower
There is an ancient saying: “A good leader is a good follower.” This would be a simple paradox if not for the fact that most aspects of a leader involve following others. The leader will follow the best path for the team to take. The leader will follow the advice and direction of those in the team if they are better than the leader’s own. The leader must follow the leader’s own examples. If you look closely at the tips above, you’ll notice that each one requires the participation of the others in the team. A leader cannot lead without people to follow, but a leader can’t move forward without following the team.
Leading people is a privilege and an honor; both not to be abused. Being a leader makes you special, but you are not special because you are a leader. A leader is just a part of a team that together is working towards a goal. Accomplishing the goal… that’s the whole point to being a leader. It is not about you, your status, recognition, or the fancy title. It’s about making things happen. But, if you make things happen, then your status will rise, you will gain recognition, and, yes, get that fancy title. Always remember though, you can’t do it alone. A leader who is seen to lead to increase their own wealth or ego, will quickly self-defeat their role, and undermine their own leadership.
This was a guest article by the Amy Linley at http://www.accuconference.com.
Maintaining Employee Morale During The Recession
November 22, 2009 by Simon Oates (Admin)
Filed under Leadership
~ This is a guest post by author Barry Shore, Ph.D from Global Project Strategy.
Companies caught in the grip of this severe recession face many difficult challenges: one of which being how to avoid deteriorating employee morale.
While on the surface one would expect that employees who remain would be grateful that their jobs have been spared, evidence from this and other recessions suggests that they feel overworked, threatened, and vulnerable. In most cases morale really does begin to suffer.
Morale affects performance, and during a recession organizations are threatened with a double-edged sword. At the same time that their business is contracting, employee morale threatens to make matters even worse.
Lower morale can translate into “recession fatigue.” This is a situation where the company experiences a series of problems that include a decline in productivity, deteriorating customer service, increased sick days, falling sales, higher costs, and lower profits.
Indeed, the only way to escape these problems is to stop doing what most companies do. Instead, companies must be proactive in addressing employee morale. Without a proactive strategy “recession fatigue” will take its toll.
How does morale deteriorate?
In most companies morale starts to deteriorate when management becomes aware that the financial crises has become their crisis as well. They instinctively pare down the workforce while at the same time reducing as many other costs as possible.
Unfortunately, these are the very changes that are almost sure to send shockwaves through any organization.
But, as is often true during an organizational crisis, communication between management and the workforce suffers. Rather than hearing about the crisis firsthand from management, the informal grapevine takes over, often raising anxiety to new and exaggerated heights. Employees become angry, detached and eventually resigned to the possibility that they my lose their job.
In many cases, the less information that management provides to the workforce … those terminated as well as those left behind … the greater is the shockwave.
Managing Those Who are Left Behind
These downsizings are tragic enough for those who lose their jobs, but those who stay also suffer as management expects them to pick up the slack, do more with fewer resources, and work longer hours.
Restructuring the organization and paring down the workforce, should not be the first and last step as the organization hunkers down to survive the recession. The second step, which is equally as important, is to manage the transition for those left behind. Unless properly managed, morale is almost certain to suffer. And unless management is proactive in addressing this issue, the organization will be in a weaker competitive position once markets turn around.
Four Leadership Principles
There are four leadership principles that, if followed, may help managers navigate through the transition in an honest and ethical way. They may help to minimize “recession fatigue” and to establish a healthier organizational environment for those left behind.
1. When tough steps need to be taken, management should openly discuss the challenges they face with employees. It will be uncomfortable, especially for those who are conflict avoidant, but employees will respect the honesty.
2. The frequency of communication with the workforce must increase. Communication reduces anxiety and can stabilize, if not improve, morale. Don’t delegate this responsibility to lower levels. Top management must do it.
3. Maintaining the morale of those who remain must become a top priority. It is important to recognize that they are suffering from a “Post Downsizing Stress Syndrome.”
4. Resist the temptation to take a hard line on those employees who remain. In his book, “Good to Great,” Collins identifies the five characteristics of effective leadership. They include: personal humility, professional will, diligence, and ambition for the company not themselves. Professional will and diligence is not enough to get through this crises. Equally important are personal humility and ethical behavior. They are not only essential in dealing with people who are caught in the middle, but can ensure a more motivated, productive, and committed workforce once the recession is over and jobs become more available.
Depending on the culture of the organization, some of these principles may be very difficult to execute, but ignoring the plight of those who are still employed may be an inappropriate response that could jeopardize the long run prospects of the organization.
How To Build A Responsibility-Driven Culture
September 14, 2009 by Simon Oates (Admin)
Filed under Debate, Leadership, featured
By Emmett C. Murphy, Written for Leadership Expert.
By Emmett C. Murphy, Written for Leadership Expert.
In 2003 Lego lost $238 million due to overly complex designs, failed forays into new markets, and costly licensing ventures. In 2004 they took previously untried steps to restore integrity and profits. Lego engaged a group of devoted fans to help them redesign a lagging product—Mindstorms, the company’s customizable robotics kit. This move broke with the creative team’s history of privacy and exclusiveness. The “Mindstorms User Panel” wanted to be paid in Lego blocks. They purchased their own tickets to Denmark for meetings. They routinely replied to single-line queries from the company with multi-page emails. They enabled the creation of wildly new and unconventional robots, such as toilet scrubber robots and bulldog robots. After experiencing the pitfalls of insularity, Lego’s decision to partner with the customer was an act of humility. It was also an act of responsibility. Leaders who admit they have a lot to learn, that they make mistakes, and that they can’t run the company alone earn respect and engender responsible attitudes in others. Three key practices of good leadership stem from humility—and inspire responsibility.
Partner with the Customer—Achieve a Shared Vision
Before Lego partnered with its customers, it was at risk of alienating them. Users had begun losing interest in products they considered too complex. Leaders who do not believe in the partnership model often act out a predatory model, subordinating the customer’s interests; Lego was heading in that direction. Instead Lego executives traveled to the world outside the organization to guide the customer to the center of organizational life. This act overtly recognized the organization’s dependence on the outside world and helped build a stronger ethical relationship between customer and organization. By “traveling outside” to gain new knowledge, Lego executives created a dynamic organizational model that embraced the “constant” of change and the need for continual adaptation. By working in close back-and-forth contact with their customers, the leaders at Lego also found that partnering with customers meant achieving a consensus. Rather than compromising or seeking to win, the customer-partner model describes a synergy that comes from achieving a shared vision.
Connect with the Frontlines—Learn From Those Who Know
Leaders who act with humility aim to achieve a shared vision with everyone in the organization. They want to understand the perspectives of those at the frontlines and adapt to accommodate those perspectives. Recently Brian Dunn, the chief executive of Best Buy, expressed his faith in following the frontlines—he had been a frontliner himself once. As a teenager working at a grocery store he had interacted with customers on a daily basis. His manager regularly asked him what he thought of new policies—for example, the store’s policy of having customers load their own groceries. “I know it seems simple,” Dunn said in a recent interview with The New York Times, “but just that notion of learning from people who are actually doing the work, and the encouragement he gave me to tell him exactly what I thought really stayed with me.” Leaders motivated by fear or arrogance remain aloof, removed from their employees. Those motivated by humility remain physically present and personally connected; they fear ignorance more than they fear confronting mistakes or problems. Humility drives responsibility: when leaders focus on customer needs, they train others at the frontlines and elsewhere to move beyond self-interest too.
Understand Work Roles—Don’t Place Blame
Strong leaders respect the careers of others as much as they respect their own. Rather than assuming they know what’s going on in the workplace, leaders driven by humility make a practice of asking questions to understand what others do and what they need. They practice active listening and seek out quiet environments to interact with others without distractions. They empathize with their associates and ultimately empower them by reinforcing strengths and resources. When problems arise, worksheets and scripts can help a leader chart an individual’s work life in a pragmatic and open-minded way. The work-life map then serves as a tool for learning what changes need to be made. When a leader finds misalignment in an individual’s work-life map, he or she practices humility by avoiding blame. The goal of assessments is to transform problems into opportunities and to encourage others to take responsibility for their work, not to engage in a blaming game.
The most responsible leaders don’t let pride get in the way of progress. They seek a purpose for leadership beyond self-interest, which helps them create partnerships—with customers, frontliners, and associates. You might say that when Lego solicited its staunchest fans to help with product development, it pioneered one of its best designs yet.
Emmett Murphy, Ph.D., is Founder and President of Murphy Leadership (www.murphyleadership.com), a global leadership consultancy. Murphy is the author of several books including Talent IQ. He is currently at work on his new book, Entrepreneurial IQ.