Can my struggling manager learn to lead people?

Dear Aunty,

One of the leaders in my management team is turning out to be quite average at leadership.

It is really hard to put my finger on it but his staff just don’t like him. They complain that he “rides” them, almost low level bullies them, doesn’t inspire them and actually isn’t very good at his job.

I don’t see any sign of this and what I see is a hard working manager who gets results, always hits his numbers and is excellent at cost control. But a few of his staff have left and others are unhappy. His team seems unmotivated and no matter what he does he can’t seem to improve things.

I have had a consultant in to coach him and improve his skills and he is actually on a first warning. Do I persist with him as I see incremental improvements but not big enough improvements to put my mind at rest?

Part of me wonders if the staff are just grumpy about someone who works them really hard. And I have had advice from someone I really respect that a hard working manager who makes budget and watches costs is gold and I would be mad to let him go. I am also a firm believer that you can learn leadership skills. Can’t you??

Next steps please

Dear Next step please,

Are you nuts? Can’t you see the writing on the wall? I have seen this situation before and let me play it out for you to the bitter end. You will persist with this person, hoping and praying that he picks up leadership skills, spending a lot of time talking to him, coaching him, getting him professional help and sending him on courses until there is a catastrophe. That usually is your best person leaving. The feedback out the door to you as you beg and plead for that person to stay is that you didn’t listen. And then you will kick yourself for not having acted sooner.

What you have on your hands is a micro manager who covers up his lack of personality and leadership skills by controlling everything and everyone. Think about it. You have already tried a lot of tools in the toolkit. You want to have seen dramatic changes by now, not small incremental improvements. Of course people can learn leadership skills.

But let me qualify that: some people can learn leadership skills. There are some personality types that I believe can’t lead because they lack empathy and social intelligence, among other things. One other thing I have learnt in this game – usually what you see is what you get.

So the performance from the start pretty much sets the scene for what you get at the end.

So here is what I would do. Continue with the warnings but tell him you want dramatic improvements and that you don’t want one more person to leave because of his micromanaging.

Be smart,
Your Aunty B

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