Workplace Issues

In a survey of over 900 managers, 70% chose “Mom” as the leader they most admire. Who else made in onto their lists? Not their bosses. Not their department or group heads. Not their CEO. In fact, no one from their workplace got mentioned as an admired leader. 

These managers developed a workplace leadership model, during facilitated workshops, based on the characteristics of “good” mothers. Not surprisingly, their model differs from other leadership models that are written by people at the top levels of organizations, like CEO’s and their favorite academic consultants. A significant difference between those top-down models and this new bottom-up leadership model is the assessment of a leader’s intention. Of special note: employees (including managers) use this bottom-up leadership model to evaluate management in every interacation. 

Their story is told in the book, “Kissing the Corporate Frog: An Enlightening Story about Leadership Traits 21st Century Employers Admire and Respect.”  Chapter 1 is available for free online at http://www.bigbadboss.com/BAD_LEADERSHIP.html.

Rarely do we read in the news about a CEO who actually does the job—and does it very well. In the linked article, The New York Times gives us an inside look at how a CEO goes about sealing a giant merger by paying attention to stakeholders—listening to concerns, getting to the root cause of issues, developing compromises consistent with a growth strategy, and paying personal attention to the people who can help make or break future success.

This is a holistic case study in management, providing a real-life example of how to effectively address both the financial and human aspects organizational change. Thank you, New York Times, for showing us such a fine example! And thank you, Terry Lundgren, Macy's CEO, for being a role model of excellent leadership!