You Can’t Manage People—But Here’s What You Can Do as a Leader

Last week, I met a client, Ramesh, who was a seasoned sales manager at a coaching session. ?This was my first meeting a prospect. Post our initial discussion he went on to say, “Sunil, this coaching is not for me. I have some other priorities, and I know my job to get after numbers.”

I smiled back and asked, “That’s absolutely fine, Ramesh. But may I ask why you met me in the first place?”

“Well,” he hesitated, “I do have one thing on my mind. I want to know how I can make my sales team more effective. How do I manage them better?”

“Is that the only question you want answered?” I asked.

“Yes, that’s all,” he said with certainty.

“Well, let me save you some time so you can attend to your priorities,” I replied. He leaned in eagerly, waiting for my advice.

“You can’t.”

Ramesh looked stunned. “What do you mean? Are you saying I can’t manage my own team?”

“Yes,” I said. “We can’t directly manage people, Ramesh. Motivation doesn’t come from external factors—it comes from within the person.”

He frowned, clearly perplexed. “But what are you coaching about?”

I explained, “I coach leaders how to inspire their teams to motivate themselves. The key lies in managing, something known as agreements, not people.”

5 Key Learnings for Leaders from this experience of mine that I want to share with each of you:

1. Motivation is Internal: Employees are not machines you can program. True motivation comes from within; your role is to create an environment where self-motivation can thrive.
2. Lead Through Agreements: Leadership isn’t about micromanaging but about setting clear agreements and expectations. When employees commit to these, they are more likely to take ownership.
3. Inspire, Don’t Dictate: Focus on inspiring your team by understanding their goals, aligning them with organizational objectives, and fostering a sense of purpose.
4. Emotional Intelligence is Key: A leader’s ability to empathize, communicate, and build trust is far more impactful than exerting control.
5. Leadership is a journey: Learning to lead effectively requires self-awareness and continuous improvement. Great leaders invest in understanding human behaviour and team dynamics.