Comments on: Enjoy Being Part of the Gang? Better Not Lead. http://artpetty.com/2009/08/04/enjoy-being-part-of-the-gang-better-not-lead/ Leadership, Management and Professional Development Mon, 21 May 2012 11:19:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2009/08/04/enjoy-being-part-of-the-gang-better-not-lead/#comment-7419 Art Petty Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:48:30 +0000 http://artpetty.com/?p=2248#comment-7419 Bret, thanks for adding your considerable wisdom! I like the "club" perspective that you raise. -Art Bret, thanks for adding your considerable wisdom! I like the “club” perspective that you raise. -Art

]]> By: Bret Simmons http://artpetty.com/2009/08/04/enjoy-being-part-of-the-gang-better-not-lead/#comment-7418 Bret Simmons Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:42:04 +0000 http://artpetty.com/?p=2248#comment-7418 Excellent, Art. One of the worst things a leader can do is to create a "club" where some are in and others are out. Leaders need to surround themselves with people that will tell them what they NEED to hear, and that means purposfully staffing your team with people you know will disagree with you on some issues. We have to make it safe for those folks to have a voice. When a club is strong, the members of the club tell us what they think we want to hear (because we reward them for doing so), not what we need to hear, and they work to systematically silence the voices that would challenge us, our authority, and the nice little club they all benefit from. Mary Jo correctly calls this a delusion. Keep up the good work, Art. Excellent, Art. One of the worst things a leader can do is to create a “club” where some are in and others are out. Leaders need to surround themselves with people that will tell them what they NEED to hear, and that means purposfully staffing your team with people you know will disagree with you on some issues. We have to make it safe for those folks to have a voice. When a club is strong, the members of the club tell us what they think we want to hear (because we reward them for doing so), not what we need to hear, and they work to systematically silence the voices that would challenge us, our authority, and the nice little club they all benefit from.

Mary Jo correctly calls this a delusion.

Keep up the good work, Art.

]]> By: Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2009/08/04/enjoy-being-part-of-the-gang-better-not-lead/#comment-7410 Art Petty Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:29:52 +0000 http://artpetty.com/?p=2248#comment-7410 Andrew, thanks for highlighting from the voice of recent experience! -Art Andrew, thanks for highlighting from the voice of recent experience! -Art

]]> By: Art Petty http://artpetty.com/2009/08/04/enjoy-being-part-of-the-gang-better-not-lead/#comment-7409 Art Petty Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:28:40 +0000 http://artpetty.com/?p=2248#comment-7409 Mary Jo, you are so right on the feedback topic. We as leaders easily fall into the trap of believing what people are saying about our performance. One slightly cynical but wise leader once told me, "Don't believe for a second that it's you that makes them so friendly, it's the position." Leading can be lonely. Thanks for sharing your wisdom! -Art Mary Jo, you are so right on the feedback topic. We as leaders easily fall into the trap of believing what people are saying about our performance. One slightly cynical but wise leader once told me, “Don’t believe for a second that it’s you that makes them so friendly, it’s the position.” Leading can be lonely.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom! -Art

]]> By: Andrew Van Dellen http://artpetty.com/2009/08/04/enjoy-being-part-of-the-gang-better-not-lead/#comment-7408 Andrew Van Dellen Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:27:13 +0000 http://artpetty.com/?p=2248#comment-7408 Art - I brilliant post about a simple change in position. Recently, a friend of mine was promoted to a management position with very little management experience. During my performance evaluation, I had the pleasure of explaining the new seperation in workplace lines now that he had beomce "one of them." Interesting relationship dynamics and a nice piece! Art -

I brilliant post about a simple change in position. Recently, a friend of mine was promoted to a management position with very little management experience. During my performance evaluation, I had the pleasure of explaining the new seperation in workplace lines now that he had beomce “one of them.” Interesting relationship dynamics and a nice piece!

]]> By: Mary Jo Asmus http://artpetty.com/2009/08/04/enjoy-being-part-of-the-gang-better-not-lead/#comment-7407 Mary Jo Asmus Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:21:32 +0000 http://artpetty.com/?p=2248#comment-7407 Great post, Art. At some point, managers forget that feeling of losing the friendship of the team and can delude themselves into thinking that the feedback they receive from their team is honest and open. Although I tend to be an idealist, and want to believe (as they do) that they can get honest feedback from their team, I'm also a realist. I've seen this delusion in the newest and the most senior of leaders. An unfortunate consequence of our heirarchical organizations is that the boss signs the paycheck (literally or figuratively), making the team reluctant to throw caution to the wind and say all that they could (and should). Its unfortunate that exit interviews are where the honesty sometimes surfaces. Great post, Art.

At some point, managers forget that feeling of losing the friendship of the team and can delude themselves into thinking that the feedback they receive from their team is honest and open. Although I tend to be an idealist, and want to believe (as they do) that they can get honest feedback from their team, I’m also a realist.

I’ve seen this delusion in the newest and the most senior of leaders. An unfortunate consequence of our heirarchical organizations is that the boss signs the paycheck (literally or figuratively), making the team reluctant to throw caution to the wind and say all that they could (and should). Its unfortunate that exit interviews are where the honesty sometimes surfaces.

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