The Best Practices Of Effective Leaders & Managers

The insight about needing BOTH directive and supportive behaviors in your leadership/management toolkit is critical in times like these. This becomes even more important considering almost all of us use ONLY directive or supportive behaviors when in stressful and unfavorable situations. While recently working with a group of "leaders of tomorrow" it became apparent that many of these budding leaders felt that supportive behaviors meant being a pushover and directive behaviors meant being a micromanager or dictator. Only after case studies and role playing did they realize that a supportive approach can be firm and a directive approach can be compassionate. Another example of where a "both-and" approach is needed instead of an "either-or" approach.

David Thank you for your thoughtful and important reinforcing comment and personal illustration for your own experience with managers. It is most valuable for us to realize that people, like the group you mentioned, often have a negative view of that leadership/management practice that differs from their own. And, in both cases, their view reflect the reality of the too often found ineffective attitudes and practices of such managers. Your experiential learning activity with them is one of the types needed for most to gain both an appreciation and understanding of what effective management/leadership practices look like (whether directive or supportive). Thanks again for sharing for the benefit of other readers of this leadership blog and keep up your great work with managers/leaders!

David, Michael. I advocate the development of awareness as a stimulant for change. I have found in my coaching endeavors behind a computer game that discrete approaches can give people options that they have not previously considered and challenge 'the habitual' behavior as well. I agree with disrupting habits to grow people. HOWEVER, scratching the surface may be dangerous. Managers are eager to try out new behaviors before they understand how to use them and so when they do or don't work out they either think they have mastered it or that the coaching was misguided. I think we all know that the context and nuance of the situation will dramatically affect the balance of positiveness and assertiveness. The more depth we can give managers to understand why the get the results they get, the more they learn how to reflect, adjust and become more resilient to the challenges of their managerial career. The learning shouldn't stop at the level of "both positive and assertive behaviors are needed" (or any other approach) but at the level of "why positive and assertive behaviors work and why they do not". Managers need to understand how communication affects emotions and how that affects motivation. They also need to understand that their own emotions are part of that mix as well. The more we can teach people to think for themselves, apply common wisdom and have the courage to change their behaviors, the more difference we will make in their lives and those they affect. Feel free to push back on this. The learning is in the discussion.

Thank you Graham for your very thoughtful and insightful response. It enriches the original blog I wrote by focusing on the underlying sources of successful leadership and management practices as well as the importance of understanding how emotions shape our thoughts (or lack of such) and actions. It is also important to emphasize both the “context” and “why” dimensions you mention. Without this, both the practical “what” and “how” actions of a manager-leader are quite likely to have a sub-optimized impact on the intended results—or, worse yet, adverse consequences.