what great managers know

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8/6/2019 What Great Managers Know http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-great-managers-know 1/1 'J~ ,--, Ii ) ") W ha t G re at M an ag er s K no w 57 What Great Managers Know " Wh at i s t h e r ev ol ut io na ry i ns ig ht s ha re d b y a ll g re at m an ag er s? " grind them down. Instead they capitalize on them. They try to help eachperson become more and more ofwhohe alreadyis. Simplyput, this isthe one insight we heard echoed bytens of thou- sands ofgreatmanagers: A n o ld p ar ab le w il l s er ve t o i nt ro du ce t he i ns ig ht t he y s ha re d. Th ere o nc e l ive d a s cor pi on a nd a f ro g. The scorpion wanted to cross the pond, but, being a scorpion, he couldn't swim. So he scuttled up to the frog and asked: "Please, Mr. F rog , ca n yo u ca rr y m e a cr os s t he p on d o n y o ur b ac k? " "I would," replied the frog, "but, under the circumstances, I must r ef us e. You m ig ht s ti ng m e a s I s wi m a er os s. " " Bu t wh y w o ul d I d o t ha t? " a ske d t he s co rp io n. " H i s n ot i n my in te r- es ts to s ti ng y ou, b ec au se y ou w il l d ie a nd t he n I w ill d row n. " A lt ho ug h t he f ro g k ne w h ow l et ha l s co rp io ns w er e, t he l og ic p ro ve d q ui te p er su as iv e. P er ha ps , f el t t he f ro g, i n t hi s o ne i ns ta nc e t he s co rp io n wo ul d k ee p h is t ai l i n c he ck . S o t he f rog a gr ee d. Th e s co rp io n cl im be d onto his back, and together they set off across the pond. Just as they r ea ch ed t he m id dl e o f t he p on d, t he s co rp io n t wi tc he d h is t ai l a nd s tu ng t he f ro g. M or ta ll y w ou nd ed , t he f ro g c ri ed o ut : " Wh y d id y ou s ti ng m e? H i s n ot i n y our i nt er es ts t o s ti ng me , b ec aus e n ow I wi ll d ie a nd yo u w il l drown." "I know," replied the scorpion as he sank into the pond. "But I am a s co rp io n. I h av e t o s ti ng y ou . I t' s i n m y n at ur e. " C on ve nt io na l w is do m e nc ou ra ge s y ou t o t hi nk l ik e t he f ro g. P eo pl e' s n at ur es d o c ha ng e, i t w hi sp er s. A ny on e c an b e a ny th in g t he y w an t t o b e if they just try hard enough. Indeed, as a manager it is your duty to di-. reet those changes. Devise rules and policies to controi your employees' u nr ul y i nc li na ti ons . Te ach t he m s ki ll s a nd c om pet en ci es to fill in the t rai ts t he y l ack . Al l o f y ou r be st e ff or ts a s a m ana ger s hou ld f oc us o n ei - t he r m uz zl in g o r c or re ct in g w ha t n at ur e s aw f it t o p ro vi de . Great managers reject this out of hand. They remember what the f ro g f orgo t: t ha t e ac h i nd iv id ua l, l ik e t he s co rp io n, i s t ru e t o h is u ni qu e n at ur e. T he y r ec og ni ze t hat e ach p er so n i s m ot iv ate d d iffer en tl y, t ha t e ac h p er so n ha s h is o wn wa y o f t hi nk in g a nd h is o wn st yl e of r ela ti ng t o o th er s. Th ey k no w t ha t t he re i s a l imi t to h ow m uch r em old in g t hey c an do to someone. But they don't bemoan these differences and try to P eo pl e d on 't c ha ng e t ha t m uc h. Don't waste time trying to put in what was lejt out. Try to draw out what was lejt in. That is hard enough. T hi s i ns ig ht i s t he s ou rc e o f t he ir w is do m. H e xp la in s e ve ry th in g t he y do with and for their people. It is the foundation of their success as managers. T hi s i ns ig ht i s r ev ol ut ion ar y. I t e xpl ai ns wh y g rea t ma na ge rs do not be li eve t ha t e ver yo ne h as u nl im ite d po te nt ia l; why they do D.ot help pe op le f ix th ei r we akn es se s; wh y th ey in si st o n b rea kin g th e , cGo lde n R ule " wi th e ver y s in gl e e mp lo ye e; a nd w hy t hey p la y f av or it es. It ex- p la in s w hy g re at m an ag er s b re ak a ll t he r ul es o f c on ve nt io na l w is do m. S imp le th ou gh i t m ay s oun d, t hi s i s a c om ple x an d s ub tl e i ns ig ht . I f y ou a pp li ed i t w it ho ut s op hi st ic at io n, y ou c ou ld q ui ck ly f in d y ou rs el f suggesting that managers should ignore people's weaknesses and that all t ra in in g i s a c om pl et e w as te o f t im e. N ei th er i s t ru e. L ik e a ll r ev ol ut io n- a ry m es sa ge s, t hi s p ar ti cu la r i ns ig ht r eq ui re s e xp la na ti on : H ow d o g re at ma nag er s a ppl y i t? Wh at do es i t a sk of em plo ye es ? Wh at d oe s i t m ean for companies? O ve r t he n ex t c ha pt er s w e w il l a ns we r t he se q ue st io ns , b ut b ef or e w e do, we have to agree on what a manager, any manager, aetually does. Wh at is t he ir u ni qu e f un ct io n i n a c om pan y? W hat r ole do t he y p lay ?

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Page 1: What Great Managers Know

8/6/2019 What Great Managers Know

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-great-managers-know 1/1

'J~ ,--,

Ii ) ")

What Great Managers Know 57

What Great Managers Know"What isthe revolutionary insight shared by all great managers?"

grind them down. Instead they capitalize on them. They try to helpeach person become more and more ofwho he alreadyis.

Simplyput, this isthe one insight we heard echoed by tens of thou-sands of great managers:

An old parable will serve to introduce the insight they shared.There once l ived a scorpion and a frog.The scorpion wanted to cross the pond, but, being a scorpion, he

couldn't swim. So he scuttled up to the frog and asked: "Please, Mr.Frog, can you carry me across the pond onyour back?"

"I would, " replied the frog, "but, under the circumstances, I mustrefuse. You might sting me as I swim aeross."

"But whywould I do that?" asked the scorpion. "His not in my inter-es ts to s ting you, because you wil ldie and then I will drown."

Although the frog knew how lethal scorpions were, the logic provedquite persuasive. Perhaps, felt the frog, in this one instance the scorpionwould keep his tai l in check. Sothe frog agreed. The scorpion cl imbedonto his back, and together they set off across the pond. Just as theyreached the middle of the pond, the scorpion twitched his tail and stungthe frog. Mortally wounded, the frog cried out: "Why did you sting me?H isnot inyour interes ts to s ting me, because now I will die and youwil ldrown."

"I know," replied the scorpion as he sank into the pond. "But I am ascorpion. I have to sting you. It's in my nature."

Conventional wisdom encourages you to think like the frog. People'snatures do change, it whispers. Anyone can be anything they want to beif they just try hard enough. Indeed, as a manager it is your duty to di-.reet those changes. Devise rules and policies to controi your employees'unruly inclinations . Teach them ski lls and competencies to f il l in thetrai ts they lack. Allofyour best effor ts asa manager should focus on ei-ther muzzling or correcting what nature saw fit to provide.

Great managers reject this out of hand. They remember what the

frog forgot: that each individual, like the scorpion, is true to his uniquenature. They recognize that each person is motivated differently, thateach person has his own wayof thinking and his own style of rela ting toothers. They know that there isa l imit to how much remolding they can

do to someone. But they don't bemoan these differences and try to

People don 't change tha t much.

Don't waste time trying to put in what was lejt out.

Try to draw out what was lejt in.Tha t i s hard enough.

This insight is the source of their wisdom. H explains everything theydo with and for their people. It is the foundation of their success asmanagers.

This insight is revolut ionary. I t explains why great managers do notbelieve that everyone has unl imited potent ia l; why they do D.ot helppeople f ix their weaknesses; why they insist on breaking the ,cGoldenRule" with every single employee; and why they play favorites. I t ex-plains why great managers break all the rules of conventional wisdom.

Simple though i t may sound, this is a complex and subtle insight . I fyou applied it without sophistication, you could quickly find yourselfsuggesting that managers should ignore people's weaknesses and that alltraining isa complete waste of time. Neither is true. Like all revolution-ary messages, this particular insight requires explanation: How do greatmanagers apply i t? What does i t ask of employees? What does i t meanfor companies?

Over the next chapters we will answer these questions, but before we

do, we have to agree on what a manager, any manager, aetually does.What is their unique funct ion in a company? What role do they play?