LEADERSHIP VS MANAGEMENT
What Do You Do When You
Meet The “Manager” On
The Road?
By Jim Bouchard
W
hat do you do when you meet
the “manager” on the road?
Kill him! Stop! Put down your
weapons! Before you break out the torches
and pitchforks - this is not about violence.
Do not, under any circumstances, do any
harm to your boss. We’re not talking about
your boss anyway. We’re talking about you!
Martial artists in the Asian traditions
borrow a lot from the great Zen and
Taoist philosophers. Lots of lessons are
taught in “koans” - a kind of riddle that
is meant to inspire deep thought. One of
the most famous is this one: “If you meet
the Buddha on the road, what do you do?”
Today we tend to take things quite
literally. Try to let that go for a moment.
In this puzzle, the Buddha is not a real
person. He’s a metaphor - a representative.
In this case, he represents the ideal self –
enlightened - perfect.
Of course, none of us are. Perfect that is.
So if you meet this perfect being on your
life’s journey, and remember this would be
you, what should you do? Kill him. That’s
considered the most, well, enlightened
answer.
This means that if you see yourself as
perfect or fully enlightened, the best course
of action is to squash that notion right
away. None of us are fully enlightened
and perfection is not a destination - it’s
a never ending process. In martial arts we
call this realization “Beginner’s Mind.”
Our “manager” might also be: A
More on that another time.
poor listener; Lacking in effective
communication
skills;
Reactionary;
Now let’s talk about this “manager.” Lacking in interpersonal skills or
Notice that I always put the “manager” in emotional intelligence; Cold or uncaring;
quotes. I absolutely want this “manager” Authoritarian or dictatorial; Selfish; Has
to stand out. I want you to recognize the a hard time expressing true meaning or
“manager.” Here’s why - When you meet purpose; and Fearful or even paranoid.
the “manager” on the road - kill him!
Unless you’re willing to let go and destroy
your inner “manager,” you will never
become a genuine and truly effective
leader.
Commit yourself to two incredibly powerful
disciplines: At least once a year, preferably
more often, solicit feedback on your lead-
ership performance. Involve people at all
levels in your domain, from the front lines,
direct reports and the folks you answer to;
Dedicate at least one day a year to solitary,
uninterrupted self-reflection.
64 MAL28/19 ISSUE
The “manager” in this koan represents
everything that’s wrong with leadership
today. Our “manager” is the enemy of
the genuine leader. Here are some of
the things the “manager” does: Micro-
manages; Controls; Imposes “top-down”
authority; Issues orders; Motivates with
incentives and punishment (or tries too);
Blames others for mistakes or shortfalls;
Looks outside for solutions; and Places
ends above means.
Sound like anyone you know - or someone
you’ve met in the past? Before we kill this
“manager,” let’s have some pity. Have you
ever noticed that in the best stories, the
villain is usually a somewhat sympathetic
character? We don’t like what he does or
what he stands for, but we can understand
why. This sets up a conflict that makes him
more interesting and engaging. And it’s
usually because we see a bit of ourselves
in the villain!
So why does the “manager” act this
way? Well - the reasons can be quite
understandable
and
rational:
The
“manager” might be protecting his or her
job or turf; This person might have been
burned before - had past experiences that
made them cautious, suspicious or fearful;
They might have an extreme sense of
personal responsibility that might make it
difficult to give up command and control
authority; and They may actually be under
attack!
Does THIS sound like anyone you know?
Have you ever seen this person in the
mirror when you brushed your teeth?
Any of us - each of us - ALL of us could
be this “manager.” Most of us have been
at one point or another. And most of us
missed it at least once or twice.
On your road to becoming an authentic,
effective leader - you’re going to meet this
“manager” - and he will be you! Kill that
inner “manager” and replace that person
with the authentic leader.
You do that by leading with Courage, anything by killing off your inner “manager.”
That person is likely stuck, stressed and
Compassion and Wisdom.
frustrated. That’s because the “manager” is
When you do that, you earn the Respect, also quite often a very dedicated and hard
Trust and Loyalty of the people you working individual. He or she also usually
serve - the people who look to you for feels misunderstood or under appreciated.
leadership. And those are a leader’s most The “manager” is often working his or her
valuable assets. Those are the ingredients tail off and getting nowhere.
for excellence.
Put down the baggage and you’ll begin to
This requires self-awareness, courage accelerate. You’ll accomplish much more.
and humility. You’ve got to take a good You’ll see opportunities where before there
look in the mirror - and the best mirror were only obstacles. You’ll begin to realize
for any leader is the people we serve. that your best expands when you Inspire,
Commit yourself to two incredibly Empower and Guide others to be their best.
powerful disciplines: At least once a year,
preferably more often, solicit feedback
on your leadership performance. Involve
people at all levels in your domain, from
the front lines, direct reports and the
folks you answer to; Dedicate at least one
It’s about letting go of the things that are day a year to solitary, uninterrupted self-
holding us back, all those things that are reflection.
preventing us from being a tremendous
leader. To do that, we’ve got to recognize
Be brutally honest with yourself and
and acknowledge our thoughts. That
unmercifully critical. Identify any areas
requires
continual
self-awareness,
where you may have slipped and become
reflection and humility.
the “manager.” Commit yourself to
letting these things go and replacing
Admiral Grace Hopper famously said,
any destructive habits with positive
“You manage things. You lead people.”
disciplines.
And we’ve got to remember that as
leaders, we’re people too.
I’ll get you started with the Top 3: The
A leader is someone with the ability to “manager” motivates. (Or tries to.) The
attract WILLING followers - and the will Leader Inspires; The “manager” delegates.
to serve them. Please note the emphasis The Leader Empowers; and The “manager”
on the word “willing.” You attract willing drives or pushes. The Leader Guides.
followers when you Inspire, Empower
and Guide them to their very best. Now don’t worry. You’re not losing
So let’s pull it all together: Identify the
traits and practices of the “manager” that
are holding you back; Let them go; Replace
them with the positive disciplines of the
LEADER; and Repeat - often!
Note the last step. This is not a one-off. As I
said earlier: “Perfection is not a destination
- it’s a never ending process!” Every time
you see the “manager” on the road - kill
him! Then you’ll be free to move on down
the road as a genuine Leader.
By Jim Bouchard is a leadership coach,
and author. His book, The Sensei
Leaders, is available in the local market
now. You can commune with him via
mail at: [email protected].