Here’s an excerpt from John C. Maxwell’s book, The 360 Degree Leader.
“Have you ever found yourself saying something like, “You know, if I were in charge, we wouldn’t have done this, and we wouldn’t have done that. Things sure would be different around here if I were the boss”? If so, let me tell you that there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that the desire to improve an organization and the belief that you’re capable of doing it are often the marks of a leader.
Andy Stanley said, “If you’re a leader and leaders work for you, they think they can do a better job than you. They just do (just like you do). And that’s not wrong; that’s just leadership.” The desires to innovate, to improve, to create, and to find a better way are all leadership characteristics.
So next time you’re complaining about that complainer, you might want to consider that she may just be what you need as a leader.
I tell our mangers in our divisions away from the home office that they, at times, need to be a pain in the butt for me. It’s easy to tell who is and who is not really trying to improve things and grow. They are the people who tell you things you don’t always want to hear.
Here’s an excerpt from an email I sent to one of our division managers who, in a previous email had apologized for “causing a problem”.
“Remember I told you a good division manager would be a pain in the butt at times. You do that well.
Seriously, thanks for the great comments. I don’t need a yes lady and I certainly don’t want the responsibility for coming up with all the good ideas or fixing everything myself.”
Now, I wouldn’t say it like that to a newer person who didn’t know me, but I could with this division manager.
With The Make-You-Happy Management System you don’t just allow someone to complain, you require them to help with a solution when they see a problem. If they are constantly coming up with problems but don’t have solutions, they just may be an immature complainer and not a true helper. If that’s the case, you need to quickly train them to have a solution when they see a problem or fire them.
But if it is someone who is uncovering true problems and opportunities to improve, that’s what the Make-You-Happy Management System is all about. With these people, do not always require them to come up with a solution. A huge principle in the Make-You-Happy Management System is that a few heads are better than one in solving problems and taking advantage of opportunities.
But does that complainer have what it takes to be a leader? Sure you want a leader that can recognize problems and opportunities, but they also need to be tactful. So keep your eyes open (or maybe better yet, your ears) for that person who thinks they can do the job better than you. You just might have a great leader.
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