Those in Leadership and Those who Lead.

Organizations and companies are filled with employees, managers, and if they're fortunate, leaders. On paper the structure of the business would typically identify those in the position of supervisor, manager, or even owner as the leaders. Many, maybe even the majority, of employees will often agree that the true leaders within the organization do not always correlate with the positions of authority previously mentioned. Think of any organization or company you’ve been a part of or currently work within. Who do you and others go to when a problem arises? Is it someone in leadership or someone who leads? – There is a difference.

Someone in leadership is the person who holds the rank and fills the position. Shift lead, site supervisor, floor manager, or any other position with a degree of rank and power. These positions due to their list of responsibilities automatically deems them as a leadership position in the traditional sense. But that does not make those in the leadership position automatically a person who leads. Think of any bad boss you’ve had. Whether it was their attitude, their work ethic, the amount they cared about you and your coworkers, there is some number of reasons you think of them when you think of a bad boss. What’s interesting is even though we know the boss isn’t a good boss, we still show up on time and do our work as required. – Why? The position of course. We tend to follow the bad boss’s leadership because we have too. We are paid to do so. Our benefits depend on it. So, the bad boss as a result gets to give directions and orders, however poorly, and still have the subordinate employees fall in line and carry out the duties.

A bad boss can still get the employees to get things done but will often need to rely on manipulation tactics to do so. There are many manipulation tactics used on all of us every day, and we don’t even know it. Maybe your boss told you to work late tonight to be able to leave early on Friday. You cancel your plans for the evening and burn the midnight oil. This is an example of manipulation through incentives. This week your boss explained that they do notice the hardest workers and track them for when bigger opportunities arise. Then the boss sprinkles in a little of the jargon about how the company believes in promoting within. As a result, you feel inclined to work harder this week. This is an example of manipulation through aspirations. The following week your boss’s message was unpleasant. Your boss explained to the team that production is down. If this trend continues, they will have to cut some hours to manage costs. Now it's getting serious, and you feel inclined to work hard again this week. This is the most powerful manipulation. – Fear.

Notice the bad boss still managed to encourage employees to work hard each week. The tactics the bad boss used were effective. This is because manipulations are actually very effective. They are all around us and not just in our occupations. “Buy two get one free” is a promotion or incentive manipulation. “See results in just twelve days” is an aspiration manipulation. “If you don’t have this maintenance performed soon, you may not have a car to drive soon” is a fear manipulation. These work well. That’s why they are everywhere. But the issue with manipulation tactics in marketing and leadership is they benefit in the short term only. After a few months of your boss dangling the carrot one week and hitting you with the stick next, you’re likely to be fed up and tired of the charade. If the opportunity arises, you will likely go for a position somewhere else. Afterall what’s keeping you under the bad boss's thumb at this point besides money? Certainly not the carrot you’ve never actually reached and the stick you never can avoid. And the next job pays money just the same. ?

So, what about those who lead? What about the person you go to when you need help or have questions? It’s not always the person in the position that states on paper they’re qualified for such responsibility and its almost certainly not the bad manipulative boss. It’s the friend, coworker, or even subordinate that chooses to always take care of those around them. When someone chooses to do this even absent the written responsibility saying to do so, they gain the trust of others. Trust is the main attribute for those who lead. Unlike manipulation tactics, trust can last forever. When someone is deemed trustworthy those around them will follow willingly. Pay has nothing to do with this instance of choice to follow. Neither does incentives, aspirations, or fear. We follow those we trust simply because we want too.

The person who leads generated trust for a number of reasons. This person took care of the people around them. Covered the counter, spoke to the upset customer, ran to the back to quicky get the item you needed. This person also made decisions that always benefited the team. As these decisions are made the people around the one who leads feel part of something bigger. Something more than a paycheck and medical benefits. Something with a goal worthy of undying effort and comradery of others. The person who leads, even absent the leadership role, has the power to rally others simply with the attribute of trust. These employees will often think twice about leaving the leadership of such a person just for a different paycheck, benefits, or commute time to work. These employees are part of something bigger and want to see the mission through. And they have the person who will lead them to the goal.

You can be the one who leads too.?