I’ve worked under various bosses throughout my career, including one who tasked me with revitalizing his faltering business. He placed me in a key sales leadership role and promised me a substantial commission to boost sales and manage “difficult to sell” inventory. I succeeded, exceeding even my boss’s expectations, which marked the beginning of an unexpected journey. Despite my successful efforts, my boss cut my commission, claiming it needed to be lowered, and expected continued good results. This pattern repeated, further reducing my commission after more successes, signaling a discouraging message: higher performance seemed to lead to more significant penalties.
From that day on, I decided to coast and cruise on my competence. The drive to excel and succeed was gone. In hindsight, this was not a good thing to do because “punishing” the company for their rude behavior meant I put my leveling up and growth on hold. So, in effect, I was punishing myself.
I once had a boss who often lamented high costs and low margins without sharing the financial details. Despite his complaints, he purchased a new car annually and claimed the company struggled. He continuously sought my sympathy and urged me to “sacrifice” for the company without raising my pay. Eventually, I recognized the pattern and decided it was time to end this facade. When I secured a new job and resigned, my boss persistently tried to retain me by offering to double my salary. His desperation made my decision to leave more committed, and I ultimately left.
Today, I learned a Chinese proverb from a very wise (and wealthy) business owner who said, “Flowers should be pinned in front of the person who works hard and earns for you, not on the backside of the human anatomy (I am trying to be polite) just when the person is leaving.”
Why do good people leave? Research consistently shows that the two top reasons why good people leave are:
They cannot get along with their immediate boss.
The feeling that they are not valued and appreciated.
So, let us focus on the first reason: The bosses. Many are promoted to leadership positions but do not have the leadership skills to manage people. Gallup’s research highlights that the most common reasons for promoting US workers to managerial roles are their tenure and success in non-managerial positions. Yet, these factors don’t necessarily correlate with managerial aptitude. According to Gallup, this results in incorrect hiring decisions about 82 percent of the time, suggesting a significant gap in identifying true managerial talent.
Decision-makers must stop promoting people into managerial positions because they think they seemingly deserve them rather than having the talent for it. Gallup found five talents are necessary for success on the job:
1. Engage workers with a compelling mission and vision. Forward-thinking managers will cast a company or team vision and enroll their followers to express their voices as co-creators and co-contributors to the vision. This is relational, adding to intrinsic motivation when people are empowered to collaborate, innovate and engage.
2. Set the right expectations for conduct. Great managers don’t waffle. They stand on challenging issues, leaving no room for ambiguity. Their decisions are firm and consistent, earning the respect of their team. This decisiveness is a cornerstone of trust. Employees value leaders who set clear boundaries and keep their word – a simple “yes” or “no” carries weight.
3. Create a culture of accountability. Managers who guide employees in setting and prioritizing work goals and support them with clear, ongoing expectations foster higher accountability and engagement. Furthermore, leading companies ensure this accountability is mutual, holding managers responsible for actively listening to and addressing their team members’ needs, thereby driving positive change.
4. Build relationships founded on trust. Gallup studies show that over half of employees who feel comfortable discussing non-work issues with their managers are more engaged at work. The key takeaway is that managers who cultivate an environment of trust, transparency, and open communication significantly boost their team’s engagement.
5. Make decisions based on productivity, not politics. Effective leaders build strong team relationships and teamwork to maintain high productivity and counteract negative dynamics like office politics and internal rivalry. They view such politics as harmful to the team’s values and act quickly to mitigate them, thus fostering a healthier work culture.
So, how does this work, and where does all this information take us? While excelling in all five areas might take time, the beauty of management skills is that they can be developed through continuous learning and practice. The things discussed here are all learned skills.
So, here is what to do: Identify potential future managers by recognizing their people-centered qualities beyond technical skills. Support them with continuous development, clear career paths, and growth opportunities with your company. Reward them for their performance; always remember where to pin the flower.
(Francis Kong’s “Inspiring Excellence” podcast is now available on Spotify, Apple, Google, or other podcast streaming platforms.)
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