“I don’t want any yes men
around me, I want everyone to tell me the truth even if it costs them their
jobs” Samuel Goldwyn.
George
Steinbrenner died yesterday: Tuesday July 14th. I was never a fan of
his. In fact I have been a Mets fan who rejected his bullying tactics and
bravado – though I would have been happier if the Mets had the same level of
success as the Yankees.
I
listened to players, coaches and media speak about him with curiosity. Aside from his drive to succeed at all
costs, was there anything positive they could say about him?
I
was struck by the following theme. Time
and again, people said he preferred having people stand up to him.
Whether
it was Michael Kay the sports writer, Don Mattlingly his player or Gene Michael
his general manager, they all told similar stories.
It
was a story, in which George was highly critical of them, and they argued back
with him and in some cases they were yelling back and forth.
In
each case they thought they would be fired or traded the next day, only to find
out that their relationship with him improved for the better as he supported
them and gave them respect.
The
lessons from such a management style are significant both for leaders and for
organizations.
If
you are running an organization (business, school, team etc) developing ‘yes
men’, that is, developing people who only agree with you all the time, though
good for pumping up your ego, does nothing for them or the company. Having people who will stand up for their
opinion, strengthens both you as the leader and the organization as a whole.
If
you leading leader and you do not hear dissenting or even critical opinions
from those around you, be wary.
You
should actually encourage positive creative dissent!
Interesting post; yes, I'd prefer to know the truth rather than to hear what people think I want to hear. As you stated, people are robbed of the opportunity to grow when we don't allow for disagreement or discussion.
I like your new blog layout! Thanks for commenting on my blog earlier.
Posted by: JenniferVDavis | 07/20/2010 at 01:02 PM