Leadership vs. Assault

 

Dwight Eisenhower said, "You don't lead by hitting people over the head—that's assault, not leadership."

Over the course of my career I've had the opportunity to witness first hand many different leadership styles—and, some are more successful than others. Nobody likes to get hit over the head and most people respond well to a little freedom regarding how they manage and approach their work. Within project teams (where collaboration is critical) autonomy among team members is very important. Eisenhower also said, "Only strength can cooperate. Weakness can only beg." I think that's true of project teams too.

I'll admit that what I'm about to say is probably easier said than done, but is worth the effort. I have had the opportunity to work as a team member or project leader on many teams over the years, and believe that fundamentally people "step up" when given the opportunity. Of course, that doesn't mean that everyone will. In those instances, it's important to step back and evaluate whether or not that particular team member should remain on the team. That being said, I recognize that not all project managers have the luxury of picking who's on their teams in the real world. However, depending on the organization, they probably have a lot of influence. For any project team to be successful, it's critical to jettison the dead weight that refuses to contribute to the team or doesn't add value. The burden of doing more with less includes doing it with the right people, or projects are doomed from the start.

Beating people over the head is not a long term solution to motivating anyone. Fear is only a motivator for a short period of time, but is ultimately a credibility destroyer and eventually team members tire of being threatened or insulted, and leave—or worse, they leave mentally but stay physically.

As a general rule, I believe that people are really driven by a desire to contribute to something bigger than themselves. Let's face it, most of us don't spend our time changing the world, curing cancer or building bridges to world peace, but there is value to what all of us do. Team members who are allowed to share in the greater vision of what they're doing and understand how their efforts contribute to the success of a worthwhile endeavor tend to be engaged and motivated.

I don't pretend to have all the answers, these are simply some of my observations and opinions. That being said, I am a firm believer in people's desire to do good work. I've worked with very few people who didn't want to excel. Please feel free to contribute to the conversation and share your thoughts and ideas.