To Hell With Titles, Give Them Leadership (eBook)
94 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
9781667828473 (ISBN)
Over the past few decades, we've experienced a leadership deficit not just in our workplace, but also in our communities and other important aspects of our lives. There is a way to cultivate leadership in yourself and others around you. It starts with you. Embed yourself in this remarkable story about Jim, a reluctant leader who with the help of his mysterious coach, applies the Five Cs of leadership to become an inspirational leader for his team and managers in his organization. The Five Cs will help you: - Articulate who you are as leader - Align everyone with the mission, vision, and values - Embrace change and effectively lead others through uncertainty - Build collaborative relationships - Define and live your leadership legacy"e;To Hell With Titles, Give Them Leadership"e; is about demystifying leadership, finding your leadership voice, and making a difference at work and for those around you.
| Chapter Two: Taking the Reins |
Being the boss is different from being the leader!
After spending the past week transitioning into his new responsibilities, Jim prepares to meet with his team. The meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. in what was Rob’s conference room. Jim is a little nervous, as the staff attending were his colleagues only last week, and he is now their boss, and as Rebecca reminded him, she expects him to take charge. Jim grabs a notepad and heads to the conference room. On his way there, a couple of people congratulate him on his promotion. He responds with a smile and a thank you but thinks, “Don’t congratulate me yet; I could end up like Rob.”
Jim arrives at the conference room to find Stacey Moss, the IT manager, who is already there.
“Good morning, Jim.”
“Good morning, Stacey. How are you?”
“I’m fine. I want to get this meeting over with; I have more important things on my plate.
Jim smiles but does not respond to her comment. Stacey is well known for being a bit brash, confrontational, and very protective of her people and turf. She has no filter; if she thinks it, she says it. Looking at the clock, she announces,
It’s five minutes after ten, and they are all late as usual. If you can fix that issue, I will name you the manager of the year,” she says sarcastically.
At a loss for words, Jim replies,
“Let’s give them a few more minutes.”
No sooner than the words have left his mouth, Juan, Ali, and Priscilla enter the room, sounding like a chorus, “Sorry, sorry we’re late.”
“Jim, you know this is part of our team’s culture; no one gets to a meeting on time; 10:00 means 10:15,” Juan adds.
Jim does not respond. After everyone settles, he kicks off the meeting.
“As you may know, Rebecca has asked me to step into Rob’s role. Am I thrilled? I am unsure, but Rebecca wanted someone to turn things around.”
“And she asked you?” Juan enquires jokingly.
“Seriously, if I don’t turn things around, I could be out on my butt just like Rob.”
“What does she mean by ‘turn things around?’’ Ali, who oversees Staff Development, asks.
“I am not sure, but I need a list of all key initiatives you’re working on.” “When would you like our lists?” asks Stacey.
“I need them by Friday.”
“That’s too soon, screams Priscilla, the Director of Human Resources.
I need to prepare for Thursday’s Labor-Management meeting.”
“I know my request is short notice, but the information is needed by
Friday, I want to understand how we benefit the agency and what we can do differently.”
“We don’t need to do anything differently; we are doing great,” suggests Juan.
Jim looks at each person in turn; his gaze falls on Juan.
“Are you sure about that, Juan? So why was Rob demoted? Jim pauses to allow them time to ponder his question.
Are there any other questions or comments?
He is greeted with silence as everyone gazes at their notepads.
Okay, let’s meet here at 10:00 a.m. on Friday.”
Back in his office, Jim reflects upon the meeting and wonders how the others view him. “Will they work for me? How did the division get such a bad reputation? Why didn’t Rob hold people accountable? What can I do to make them take me seriously?” He is interrupted by the telephone.
“DCFS, Operations Division, Jim Reynolds speaking.”
“Jim, this is Rebecca. Did you have an opportunity to meet with your team?”
“Yes, I met with them this morning.”
“How did it go?”
“Things went well.”
“Good, I want you to know I am counting on you to turn things around. I don’t want to make any more management changes,” she emphasizes.
“I understand.”
“Well, I’ll let you get back to work. Keep me posted on how things progress.”
“I will. Take care, Rebecca.”
Jim spends the rest of his day reading Rob’s old files, checking emails, and scheduling meetings. The remainder of the week takes on a similar tone and routine. He also meets with other members of the Operations staff.
It is 09:55 on Friday morning. Jim is sitting in the conference room awaiting his team. At 10:00 as he gets up from his seat to check on their whereabouts Juan and Ali walk in together. They both confess they forgot about the meeting.
Jim does not respond. Using the conference room phone, he calls Priscilla and Stacey. By 10:30 a.m., everyone is present.
“We’ve got to do something about starting our meetings on time, says a frustrated Jim. I know this is how we operated when Rob was here, but this is unacceptable. I wasted thirty minutes waiting for you.” No one says a word. Stacey churlishly chimes in,
“It was your idea to hold a meeting on a Friday. No one meets on Fridays, and besides, I did not have time to pull together a list of IT projects.”
“I didn’t pull mine together either,” Juan adds.
Jim turns his gaze to the other members of his team,
“How about you, Ali? Priscilla?
They both shake their heads. Jim, furious and frustrated, goes on a tirade. His colleagues have never seen this side of him.
Let’s get something straight; when I ask you all to do something, I expect you to do it. I am in charge of this division, which means I am your boss. So, here’s what is going to happen. I’m going to reschedule this meeting for Monday at 9:00 a.m. Everyone better get here on time with your list in hand. If you are late or do not have your list, don’t bother showing up. I’ll deal with you later.
You got me?
He slams his folder on the table. Everyone nods in unison.
Do you have any questions for me?”
The silence is deafening.
A demoralized Jim walks out of the conference room, heads straight to his office, and calls Rebecca. Her secretary puts the call through.
“What’s going on, Jim?” she asks.
“I need to take the rest of the day off.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine. I want to start fresh on Monday.”
“Okay, but I’m here if you need to talk.”
He declines her offer, and after checking his email, he grabs his backpack and heads for the elevator. On the way down, he thinks, “What the hell did I get myself into?”
As the doors open, he hears someone talking about a problem with the trains.
“Great! What else can go wrong?” he grumbles.
Jim runs toward a taxi sitting at the traffic lights. The driver sees him and waits. Jim hops into the cab and immediately shouts out his address.
“510 East Twenty-Eighth.”
“I know exactly where that is, the driver responds with a thick Jamaican accent. The expressway is jammed right now, so we will have to drive through town.”
“Are you serious?” asks an exasperated Jim.
“They’ve shut down parts of it to allow emergency vehicles to respond to the train derailment, explains the driver. We’ll be in traffic for a while, but you are in good hands. I know every back road and shortcut that exists in the city.”
“And I thought my terrible week was over,” mutters a frustrated Jim.
“It sounds like you had a rough week.”
“Huh?”
“It sounds like you had a rough week,” repeats the driver.
“That would be the ultimate understatement.”
“It couldn’t have been that bad.”
“Sir, no disrespect, but could we have a quiet ride, please? I prefer not to discuss my week.”
“You don’t have to call me sir; my name is Prof-I, and I’ve been driving cabs and observing people for some time. I can tell when someone has a lot on their plate.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Jim, many people from all walks of life have sat in the back of my cab. College kids, hardworking people, CEOs, politicians, you name it. The young man who left the White House a few years back spent countless hours discussing politics, social issues, planning his team, and more. This is where he developed his vision for hope and change. You peg me as just a cab driver when you look at me. Well, Jim, you are entitled to your perceptions; they are yours.”
“How do you know my name?”
“Well, either that’s your badge, or you lifted it from someone else. Should I call the police, Prof-I asks with a chuckle?”
Jim smiles.
“No need for that; my week has been rough already.”
“You smiled; that’s healthy for the spirit. I tell you what. I want to help you.”
“Help me, how can you help me?” asks Jim dubiously.
“I’m going to help in two ways,” replies Prof-I. “First, I’m going to help you build trust.”
“Trust?”
“Yes, I’m going to help you to trust me. Unless you trust me, I cannot help you in a second way: to help you deal with whatever’s going on at work.”
“How can you help me at work?”
“First, you must...
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 30.3.2023 |
|---|---|
| Sprache | englisch |
| Themenwelt | Wirtschaft ► Betriebswirtschaft / Management ► Unternehmensführung / Management |
| ISBN-13 | 9781667828473 / 9781667828473 |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
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