Common myths surrounding management and leadership which we regularly uncover and challenge on our management training courses. They’re usually handed down like old wives tales and can become mental barriers to high performance.
#3: People will respect me because I’m the manager
You’ll almost certainly be aware that your behaviour and the way you feel changes around different people. Their behaviour and communication style influences yours.
So the question as a manager is: ‘How is the way that I behave creating the right environment to achieve results, motivate individuals and develop a bonded team?’
There’s a belief amongst many managers that people will just respond to them because they’re a manager – whatever they say or do. These are things that some managers tell us during executive coaching or on management training courses:
“I shout and lose my temper during meetings sometimes and I’ve never heard any complaints about it.”
“People seem okay with me always starting meetings late”
“I might do ……. sometimes but I’m the boss, right?”
People won’t always tell you when they find one of your habits annoying and or when your actions are – say – preventing them from opening up to you, or allowing them to feel that they can pinch things from the stationery cupboard. You can’t assume that the absence of people saying your behaviour is problematic means that it’s ok to take all your calls on speaker phone or shout instructions to a co-worker from behind your part-closed office door.
It’s an inevitability of human behaviour that most people won’t speak up when they’re bothered by someone else’s behaviour, even in situations when they really should.
Good leadership and communication skills will enable you to discover how to improve your rapport, confidence and status, and figure out ways to generate the behaviour that you want.
Sometimes it’s what you’re doing that’s the problem. Sometimes it’s what you’re not doing. Either way, it’s your responsibility to ensure that your behaviour and communication is generating the behaviours you want from others.
You are the role model.
Challenge this myth:
Delegation and Time Efficiency
Effective Communication Skills
Organisational Leadership Skills (Senior Managers)
