‘What Winning Managers Know’

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Great managers win. They deliver results. They are aware of what is going on around them. They are honest managers. When things are not going well, they don’t complain. They go after solutions.

They inform their people. They work together to make things better. If you want to manage like them, you have got to lead by example.

So what do they do? What do great managers do? What makes them great?

‘What winning managers do.’ According to John Cioffi and Ken Willig, ‘Winning managers agree- things do change so quickly that today’s plan may soon be outdated. … The real value is in the process of planning rather than in today’s plan.’

‘Most managers know that their success depends upon the team that they create and manage.’

‘Winning managers know that there are two major activities needed in order to coach the right people. First, they must hire the right people, and then they must coach them effectively.’

Winning managers know that people with the natural abilities to fulfill a position will love what they do, will do it well, and will require little management attention.’

‘Winning managers know that not everyone is a good customer.’

‘Most managers learn on the job and receive little or no training.’

‘Winning managers know that everyone is different, but they also know that most people want goals to achieve, so that they know what success looks like.’

‘Winning managers know that they will be successful only if their teams are successful.’

‘The planning process makes logical sense only if we create strategies first.’

‘An effective planning process relies on an organized manner of collecting and analyzing all relevant information, and a good plan is the product of this effort.’

‘How do you create a planning process, an organized manner for obtaining interrelated information to create an effective plan?

Source:

John Cioffi and Ken Willig (2013). The Winning Manager’s Playbook: 6 Practices Every Manager Need to Succeed

‘How Great Leaders Think’

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Leadership is about your people, not about your position. It is about thinking the right thoughts.

If you want your people to follow you, you must take care of their needs and wants.

‘The leadership task is to bring together different sides to engage in a conversation that the parties would often prefer to avoid.’

‘Leaders need to create arenas with rules, roles, and referees and be prepared to tightly manage the exchange.’

‘Adaptive leaders help parties understand why the problem is so difficult and become more willing to find and accept a solution.’

‘Leaders develop self-awareness through ongoing learning about their actions and their impact on others.’

‘A basic leadership responsibility is to shape structure to fit the situation.’

‘Example, not command, holds a team together.’

‘A specialized language fosters cohesion and commitment.’

‘Stories carry history and values and reinforce group identity.’

‘Ritual and ceremony lift spirits and encourage creativity.’

‘Soul is the secret of success.’

‘Diverse leadership supports a team’s competitive advantage.’

Source:

Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal (2014). How Great Leaders Think: The Art of Reframing