Most managers and entrepreneurs talk about the importance of collaboration. When it comes to execution, however, managers’ behavior often violates their own espoused beliefs, because getting things done is a higher priority than getting people “on board.” The fact is that those two ideas are not mutually exclusive.
Many entrepreneurs and managers fear being perceived as indecisive. As a result, they make a lot of decisions themselves that other people in their organizations would be much better qualified to make. Shouldn’t making good decisions be more important than who makes them?
Some organizational leaders require their people to be omniscient. They put people in jobs. They don’t set and communicate specific and measurable expectations. They don’t review performance against expectations regularly and work with people to develop and implement corrective actions. They don’t validate positive performance. Their people fail. Those leaders then levy blame against everyone but “the man in the mirror.”
These three examples demonstrate “hard-headed” management. There is a huge difference between being “tough-minded” and “hard-headed.” What follows are some of the most salient actions and attributes that differentiate the two:
Tough-minded managers take action that achieves planned results; hard-headed managers take action that solidifies their authority and personal power.
Tough-minded managers select people for jobs based upon past performance and position-relevant strengths; hard-headed managers select people for jobs whose views and perspectives are similar to their own.
Tough-minded managers select strong people and integrate those strengths to create interdependent success; hard-headed managers select weaker people, focus on developing their weaknesses and cultivate dependency.
Tough-minded managers demonstrate a commitment to candor with their actions; hard-headed managers verbally espouse a commitment to candor, but “shoot the messenger.”
Along the same lines, tough-minded managers find ways to encourage a constant flow of people, from all organizational levels, in and out of their offices; hard-headed managers believe that an
“open-door policy” means leaving their doors open, waiting for people to come in.
Tough-minded managers cultivate commitment; hard-headed managers mandate obedience.
Tough-minded managers recognize that giving people a say doesn’t necessarily mean giving them a vote; hard-headed managers don’t acknowledge the difference and don’t bother to think about it.
Tough-minded managers understand that their primary lever of superior organizational performance is people, both customers and employees. They demonstrate their smarts by spending the highest proportion of their time with people. Hard-headed managers view time spent with people as an expensive distraction.
Tough-minded managers use all personal interactions as coaching opportunities. They recognize that leadership is a conversation. Hard-headed managers use personal interactions to demonstrate personal bravado.
Tough-minded managers understand that time is their most precious personal resource. They allocate that resource accordingly by managing their time. Hard-headed managers allow time to manage them.
For tough-minded managers, other people come first; for hard-headed managers, it’s all about themselves.
Tough-minded managers sustain individual and organizational performance; hard-headed managers may get it in the short-term, but rarely get it consistently over time.
Tough-minded managers understand that their job is to get people to want to do what needs to be done; hard-headed managers are satisfied merely getting people to do what needs to be done.
Which are you?
