A Manager Leads without Dominating

Effective Management and Developed Team Leadership

Apr 24, 2009
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Manager Leads without Dominating - MorgueFile, Manuere

Successful managers ensure business products and services can be achieved when they communicate to employees respect for their worth and value.

Leading without dominating is a leadership skill and it takes a manager developed in leadership to effectively execute this trait. Aside from assertiveness and negotiation skills, a manager is a developed leader.

According to management personal development guru, speaker and author, Denis Waitley, "Yesterday leaders commanded and controlled. Today leaders empower and coach."

The Manager the Leader

A manager leads his team as he coordinates activities with other leaders who are involved in related-projects. Coordinating role includes establishing direction and priorities for the team based on how the project proceeds with other teams.

Since a manager is accountable for business outcomes, he monitors the progress of staff to provide coaching and feedback on both business and employee performance. A manager doesn't have to conduct each and every team meeting. In fact, it's a good idea to encourage other members to lead at least some parts of team meetings.

The Manager in a Team Member Role

When a designated team member is assigned, the manager is still involved in deciding how things should be done. He can also play the role of "expert" along with the other "experts" on the team. However, being the manager, he has the added perspective of what other teams are up to alongside how his team is performing.

The Leader as Team Facilitator

There are cases when teams may only need a manager who is more of a facilitator than a manager. Even on so-called leaderless teams, someone has to play this role. A more senior team member can be assigned. This designated person serves as a catalyst who leads the team members together in meetings, keeping notes, sending out minutes, asking for agenda items, and generally facilitating every aspect of a well-functioning team.

The facilitator-leader might be found on any kind of team that chooses to be leader-less. The caveat is that this facilitator has to be good at encouraging consensus and getting the team to move ahead. A lot of discussion takes place on leaderless teams.

Key Ideas How a Manager Can Be Effective without Dominating:

Control without Directing: A manager suggests, asks probing questions, summarises points of view, points out consequences, and lets things happen.

Develop Individual Team Players: Team members should be made effective developing them. A manager encourages team members for further development of their skills and other personal improvement training. Staff training and development remove or minimize possible obstacles for employees to function at their best.

Share Power: Although there are some decisions that are only within the realm of the manager, when appropriate, a manager is comfortable in delegating decision and responsibilities to the team members. The team appreciates this, and the employees grow as part of their job development.

In summary, one thing is sure: a manager who is “bossy” in giving directions, demanding performances and getting on the nerves of team members, demotivates and demoralizes. However, a manager who leads his team without dominating enhances greater productivity and harmonious team relationships in the workplace.