Page 254 - Just Promoted A 12 Month Road Map for Success in Your New Leadership Role

Settling into Your Renewing Organization 239

formance problems and implement solutions. No business can be stagnant.
Change is a constant of business. Even as things go well, you must keep your
eye on the horizon, on the next generation of goods and services. You must
ensure that your organization prepares for the future even as you succeed in
the present.

Being Insensitive to Others: Using an Abrasive, Intimidating, or Bullying Style
Contrary to the business press myths about successful bullies who win through
intimidation, few bullies ever make it to the top. The reasons are that they
make too many enemies on the way up and they expose their Achilles heel,
which is their inability to build a stable, strong, capable staff.
There are different kinds of bullies. The stereotype is of the yelling, stomp-
ing, threatening bully. But overcritical managers are also bullies as they over-
scrutinize their employees and second-guess their decisions, creating in them
the fear to criticize, to make suggestions, or to do anything beyond what they
are told to do, for fear of being wrong.
Less recognized but having the same effect are the psychological bullies.
These can be kind, humane, often personable managers who treat employees
like children. They judge the employees’ ideas (good, bad) rather than building
upon ideas or brainstorming with them. They fine-tune others’ ideas in such a
way that these bullies end up assuming ownership and credit for the ideas. Their
people feel like children who are seeking approval of their work and their ideas
rather than colleagues who have valuable input and advice to offer.
All bullies—the loud and brash, the overcritical, and the psychological—
have the same effect. They make people feel powerless, childlike, and depend-
ent. They generate resentment and undermine the organization’s ability to
develop strong capable leadership.

Being Cold, Aloof, or Arrogant
Cold, aloof leaders think they have to maintain some distance from their
workforce. In fact, however, successful managers and leaders are accessible,
friendly, solicitous of their employees’ opinions and input, and grateful for
their assistance. Successful managers acknowledge that the best ideas fre-
quently come from the workforce. Aloofness cuts managers off from the cru-
cial information needed to manage well. Arrogance cuts managers off from
the hybridization of ideas that form strong organizations. The arrogance that
“I am right and only my ideas are good” discourages employees from taking