So, what about ENLIGHTENED LEADERSHIP
Ok, I get the feeling that some of you may already be thinking this is a continuation of the “oxymoron” thought stream of the last newsletter. Well, that’s not the action plan. (IKR sorry.) I couldn’t help my faulty logic. (OK, enough.)
In the 1970’s the idea of “Enlightenment” became popular. (It proposed a “decentralized organizational structure”. In short Supervisors and Managers pursued the achievement of authority rather than power. What the heck does that mean?
Part of the concept is also found in the naming of the concept when the term “enlightened” comes before “Leadership”. When you buy a can of Beans and Franks isn’t your anticipation that there will be more beans than there is little hot-dog like items. (It was the presumption that enlightenment was already understood and accepted by ALL.)
Graphic examples of Enlightened Leadership often show the employees up above the supervisor. Or, the interests of the employees are at odds with the objectives of the company. (Remember that visual imagery does often exaggerate.) The idea of Enlightened Leadership also shows the General “leading” from the rear. Somethings worked out; but not enough things, nor across enough of the business world for it to have become dominant. Your enlightenment may not be of the same content as the enlightenment of others. Maybe, this perception came from the Age of Aquarius. (You can look that up.)
My view of Successful Supervision is premised in having a clear understanding of the “ROLE of the Supervisor”:
To accomplish more through others than you could accomplish alone,
To marshal the diverse talents of more people than yourself, alone, toward the completion of a task or tasks,
Provide guidance, give direction,
To accomplish “things”.
Successful Supervision is also a function of CONSISTENCY. Supervisors need to fully accept a reality.
That reality is YOU WILL EITHER BE CONSISTENTLY CONSISTENT OR YOU WILL BE CONSISTENTLY INCONSISTENT.
Which type of supervisor are you? Which supervisor do you want to work for?