Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way

Throughout my career I’ve been exposed to various sorts of management and leadership. The exposure isn’t limited to the working arena either, many of my classes and studies have included intense examination of leaderhsip and management practice. But experience is always the best teacher.

Over the last months, I’ve come across a few management styles that I do not like.

The first is a stlye of Gotcha! Management. This is the person who sets people up in jobs to “earn” the support, resources, and tools to do the job. This manager feels that a total investment in people until they prove themselves is a risk or a waste of money.

The second style is Trend Leadership. You know these people. They have a core style of leadership that is driven by trends and the most recent seminar or book they’ve read. A key indicator of this style is someone who uses far too much jargon, slogans, and mottos to show off their leadership style.

Finally, the Black Hole manager. These managers allow information in, make no decisions, and don’t run information up the chain of command but require it all to come through them. I’ve been managed under this style in the past. This is the severly risk adverse, nay saying, in over their heads manager who needs everything to run through them but does nothing with it.

I’m tired of sitting idly by waiting for these leaders or managers to straighten up. Lead, follow, or get out of the way. I am leading my life, my career, and my home to success. I ask for no quarter or protection. Unlike many managers and leaders, I accept the good with the bad. Decisions need to be made or I will be the victim of others’ bad management styles.

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