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The problem with financial planning is in fact, that the target moves every single day…
T raditional Leadership is full of ruthless managers who focus solely on profit and margin. And whilst these two concepts will always be absolutely important. One thing must be equally important and that is the idea that you don’t have to do these things at the cost of kind, empathetic and democratic leadership. They can in fact work in unison.
I remember distinctly, many “strong leaders” saying things like your staff don’t care about you, only themselves. And I think the reason this belief resonates with those managers, (an important distinction), is this is a direct response to staff that feel like they are just a cog in the wheel with no say at all in the business as a whole.
Having built a successful firm and having a successful career in corporate, I believe that in the center of business, the following core beliefs will always be paramount.
- Collaboration (partnership).
- Listening.
- Democracy.
- Compassion.
It is ironic that having worked in some large corporates for many years, it would seem to me that you are almost hired to follow the rules and stay in your lane and pay attention to the hierarchy. Effectively turning you into a hamster on a never-ending turnstile of task by task, determined very stringently by the top. And it was personally a concept that I never quite understood. I believe this approach too often stifles employees and leaves them feeling unfulfilled and looking for other opportunities to do the things they know they can do elsewhere, whether it be an underutilized skill or a project that could add value to the organization. For me personally I needed to do things which would optimize and make things better. I wanted to show what I was capable of, and that being my ability for entrepreneurship. I believe that as part of the hiring process as difficult as it may be every time you hire someone you allow yourself to lose a little bit of control, because you hire people for their skills, brains and as no one has the same set of them, it is an opportunity for you as the business to grow, brainstorm and in fact have someone with a different perspective. Because surprise, its impossible to future proof and grow a business without smart, resourceful people and different perspectives.
There is no debate that people need to fall in line with the fundamental principles of the organization, because that is why that person took the job in the first place. But to bring someone in on the principle of contributing meaningfully to the team, and then just being told what to do at every turn, will always mean that a person is never fulfilled and will always be searching for that fulfillment elsewhere. As cliché as it sounds, money is in fact not the only thing people care about. Recognition is not the only thing people care about and ironically people want to work, (they genuinely do), but they want to add meaningful value to their roles, lives, and that of the company over and above the non-negotiable KPI’s. The majority of people want to feel that they are heard and provide valuable input into the company, however big or small, so leaders should encourage this. Our job is where we spend most of our time. It is a massive part of our lives. Imagine this: working somewhere you whole life and just doing your job. This is a bizarre concept that some managers truly believe will give you the result you need. It should look more like... “Do your job, that’s non-negotiable”, but whilst you are at it, “buy some land” in the company, that you can feel proud that it contributed meaningfully to the success of the organization on a macro level which you chose to be part of, outside of your role. Something that you can truly, say you owned.
That is true value and real equitable work partnership.
*The information in article does not, and is not intended to, constitute financial advice and materials on this site are for general informational purposes only.
