Who'd want to be a manager!?!
My 5 top reasons for taking on the hardest job in the world
They say there are two certainties in life - death and taxes. I have a third one to add - managers complain over a drink! Business owners, Department Managers, Executives, and Mid or Lower Level Managers... they are dotted throughout our social circles and when conversation turns to work, the tales of struggle pursue.
All of us tend to have a little moan about work, but it is this sub-category of 'leaders' that tend to have that little extra bite and gravity in the stories they share. It cuts deeper. Maybe it is because of the work that I do that makes this more apparent. Or, maybe most people in leadership positions take on stress and strain beyond what is the usual. Maybe a bit of both...
The question must be asked - why would anyone put themselves through such horrendous circumstances? Managing people is the hardest thing to do. There is no text book. There is no 'one-way' or license/permit/certificate you can earn or buy to make leading easy. It is near impossible to get right or even do consistently well. There may be a few bucks in it, but usually the monetary incentives pale in significance compared with the sheer graft one needs to expel to handle the responsibilities that come with the position. I felt it was a good moment in time to recognise these amazing people, their efforts, and the fact that they do a special thing every day in our workplaces. I also wanted to reaffirm some key reasons why their work matters and what the benefits of such work is (for all of us but particularly for themselves). Here we go...
We are all leaders. The most junior person in a team is still a leader. It is the natural order of organisational functionality. Young Jenny or Sam may only work 10 hours casual per week, but they need to make decisions and lead mini-processes around the workplace affecting all around. So, leadership is inherent in all our roles. It makes sense to step up into an official role of leadership (when the timing is right) if we are all leading anyway. For all of those people in non-leadership roles, viewing your work like this a healthy way to approach your day for better contribution and faster progression.
The struggle mirrors learning. Recently, I was asked by Renee Giarrusso what the biggest 'growth moment' was in my career. It was when I had the biggest fail in my management career. In fact, I could list 3-4 times in my career where I was flattened by the responsibilities and the mistakes I made as a leader in those scenarios. They were worth 10x more than any MBA could have taught me. Keep in mind the stress and strain you are facing as a leader is the gift of heightened learning which can not be learnt anywhere else in such a short, efficient, and effective way. Take the learnings, reflect on them regularly, and discuss them often with peers and mentors. It can be the making of us. I am living proof.
"Amid today's impressive technological innovations, business leaders sometimes forget that work is - at its core - a fundamental human endeavor."
Deborah Stephens, Executive Consultant & Leadership AuthorThe top table of fun. Managers get to sit-in on information flow others are not privy to. At first this makes us feel a little special even if it is intimidating or uncomfortable. The key to this is that you get first-hand experience of the problem sets, the decision making process of people senior to you (and your colleagues), and you even get a chance to vote or contribute to these conversations. It is exhilarating and it is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the business as well as being another fantastic learning opportunity to be better at what you do.
Leading is an art form. Building a team and leading a business unit has nothing to do with hitting targets or delivering projects. These are merely metrics we set out to tell us if we are on track - important but not the point of the work itself. Being a manager is a chance to be the artist you dream of being. The child in you may wish you could be the musician, dancer, sculpture, or animator you never became. The thing is, that being a leader is so much better than being a rock star or actor. A leader in an official management role has the keys to the castle. They have the official permission to inspire, uplift, and re-imagine the workplace existence of all those the business touches. A leader has a platform to change people's lives, to create memorable moments, and to touch the soul as much as a beautifully composed composition or an Oscar winning film. In fact, more so as we can touch those close to us (ie. team members) in a direct and intimate way as well as influencing those far and wide in our customer base and communities to a national or global level depending on our roles.
You have endless possibilities. When people become managers there is no end to the influence or achievement one can be achieved. You can influence a team member's home life, confidence, well being, or courage by helping them through a tough trot. You can test and prove a better way of working in your team or division that could end up getting rolled out nationally or globally. You can prove business cases and present them to the biggest and most influential people in your business/industry/community. You can make decisions and lead the work that saves people's jobs and keeps businesses alive. You can learn things about yourself and other to a deeper level possible without the functional realities of being a manager let alone the struggles you constantly face (see number 2 above!)
On reflection of approximately 20 years in leadership, these are my five keystone benefits of being a manager. Even when it becomes turgid and completely unhealthy. Even when you are doing ridiculous hours and getting no sleep. Even when you feel everyone is against you and there is no hope. Even when you feel like giving up. Remember that leadership is a privilege, it is a teacher, it is a canvas, and it is the making of most of us. We all get broken by it and reduced to tears at some point. If it hasn't you are either not human or the pond you are swimming in is way too small.
This Christmas I will be listening to you, admiring you, and toasting to you. For everything you have done during the year that was and for everything you will lead us through in the year to come. The moaning and groaning over a beer or two is our human right. But the benefits outweigh the downfalls, as long as you can see it and see it through.
