Managers In Transformation

This is a love letter to people in organisations who are by default "in charge", expected to be fully accountable and masters of everything : The Managers. If most of the people agree that everyone deserves some love and compassion, they might equally agree, that managers are an exception. Why are managers considered an exception?

Heroes don't cry        

... Because we have a frustration-admiration relationship with the role of "manager" and their job "by design" is meant to be failure-free. Superheroes. More senior the position, more the manager is expected to behave like an "XXL superhero knower of all things". Even more so, when companies launch transformation programs, managers are expected to behave as superheroes, and lead the way no matter how clueless that type of transformation is to them. Even if "change agents whistler blowers" might say that managers won't be needed anymore in the after-transformation-life, there is an unspoken expectation they will be fully committed in the process. They master the process. They are superheroes. Who feels compassion for superheroes? It makes no sense, does it?

What if...        

We remember that managers are people just like anyone else and no-super heroes? That they are allowed to be clueless of transformations models that pushes them out of the landscape? That they can be lost in transformation and that's ok? And most important of all, what if ... managers allow themselves to let go of their own expectations of behaving as "XXXL Superheroes" ( when going higher in the hierarchy, you can add an extra "X")? Before being managers, people are people. Satish Kumar said that prisons are full of people who were poorly loved. Organisations are full of managers who believe they are not meant to be loved.

What if, by shifting this belief, work becomes a better place to live? To all the managers entangled in the paradox of successful-transformation-while-keeping-going-with-old-stuff-because-of-delivery-pressure I am writing a...

...Love Letter To Manager In Charge        

I wish you see the beauty in the world as it emerges at any moment. I feel you work hard to keep the armour of success as it is defined by a performant society. I feel you need to continuously prove you worth “it”, without ever having the permission to ask what this damn “it” really means.

I wish you can get free from that armour of Wonder Woman or Super Man and enjoy life rather that chasing and be chased by “high expectations”. I'd love to support you free yourself of a mistreating concept of “excellence” that creates around you a source of distress.

I’m sorry you need to suck it up and get your "mess" together with a professional reassuring smile every day, that makes you too exhausted to share the quality time you'd like to share with people who are most important in your life.

Please forgive me if I failed to reach you effectively so I can support you; if I don't feel reassuring because I use a language that does not fit with the standards of business performance management semantics. ?

I thank you, for inspiring me to develop the “simple leadership” vision and the call to work with fears as our most powerful - and empowering!- resources

I love you because you represent the healing potential of the corporate world.?