Management: Between Excellence and the Old Ways. A Fad or the Norm?
I have spent the last 20 years leading people, sales teams, and operations. Setting KPIs, developing business plans, taking action to achieve goals, motivating people to perform, managing budgets, and being responsible for P&L in large companies on the Romanian market.
by Irina Iagăru, management consultant
Irina Iagăru, management consultant
Some would call me a leader.
I would say that I’ve spent the last 20 years learning.
Learning to develop my leadership skills—specifically, how to choose the right people to join me on my professional journey, how to support them, how to improve processes, how to adapt my management style, and above all, how to be someone who leaves a positive mark, something that can be carried forward.
There are different management styles, but the one that is increasingly on everyone’s lips refers to excellence.
We constantly hear about this style, which combines financial performance and market success with the satisfaction of team members.
Do we truly understand what it entails? Are we ready to break free from the paradigms that underpin the old-school “boss”?
Let’s replace fear with motivation…?!
There are, of course, various ways in which people choose to lead: through coercion or by example.
Each of these comes with its own pros and cons, both in the short and medium term, but especially in the long term.
A management style based on coercion will yield results in the short term, but it will create instability within teams and volatility in the business over the medium and long term.
Below are a few examples of the key characteristics of this management style:
Strengths Weaknesses
– Constant control – High staff turnover
– Immediate results – Operational errors
– Obedience – Fear of repercussions
– Creation of a hierarchical system – Slacking off
At the other end of the spectrum, we have excellence in management.
Not only does this provide satisfaction to employees, but it also brings countless benefits to customers by being implemented at the team level and communicated to the outside world.
Strengths Weaknesses
– Targeted control – Resistance to change
– Sustainable results – Long-term development
– Trust – Risk of subjectivity in evaluations
– Performance-based system – Risk of burnout
There is, however, a third type that manages to combine the two styles mentioned above—a style characteristic of visionary leaders.
In business terminology, this is called leadership.
Leadership is the ability to connect with people through inspiration, motivation, and innovation.
It is the ability to bring individuals together into the same team, all following a single vision and a clear direction. Of course, control is also present in this type of management, but it takes the form of presence and interest, combined with direction and performance monitoring.
The way a leader builds a visionary and high-performing team involves attention, dedication, hard work, and consistency.
The leader instills trust, grants freedom, and provides support.
The difference between a leader and a boss/manager lies in how they act within the team and in the image they project.
Leader Boss/Manager
– Present – Individualist
– Visionary – Narrow-minded
– Empathetic – Intransigent
– Dedicated – Selfish
– Responsible – Irresponsible
– Clear – Indecisive
– Supportive – Loner
– Modest – Arrogant
Of course, these are just a few of the traits that can be found in the workplace; they are not generalizations, as each individual has their own unique characteristics or may share several common traits.
A leader is made, not born.
There are people who are naturally born with leadership qualities, but most of those who become leaders hone their management style in such a way as to transform themselves from individuals into leaders.
Mastering this craft requires time, patience, and perseverance.
I have worked in several industries, met leaders and bosses, and the entire learning process has had stages, directions, and lessons. That is why experience and expertise are two concepts that, although they seem similar in significance, become antagonistic in understanding.
Experience represents the accumulation of knowledge over a period of time in a specific field.
Expertise is the fine-dining aspect of a person; it is the hallmark of professionalism and depth that distinguishes a true leader from a mere follower.
It would be utopian to believe that a title, rather than knowledge, makes you a leader.
However, we often encounter teams led solely by a boss, which results in poor professional performance, internal team tensions, insecurity, and a lack of future plans for employees.
Here are some tips and tricks on how to become a leader, which I’ve picked up over my 20 years in management and would like to share:
– Get to know your people: the differences in age, education, and culture that exist within a team should not divide people, but rather be an important part of its diversity, so that everyone’s skills become strengths.
– Listen to people: with patience and interest. Meetings are an opportunity to analyze and communicate the company’s direction, but also a good opportunity to listen.
– Set KPIs: Key performance indicators are the foundation upon which success is built. Make sure you’re prepared to set the direction and monitor performance. Be clear, concise, and direct.
– Build the team’s organizational culture: reinforce strengths and identify areas for improvement.
– Be present: A leader’s presence within the team is essential, not optional. People follow people!
– Provide support: At the beginning and whenever necessary. Support from a superior instills confidence and ensures continuity.
– Take action: Action plans can be individual (when working on an individual’s areas for improvement) or collective (when aiming to develop a shared activity).
– Evaluate: people and situations. Judge objectively, but firmly.
– Reward: offer performance bonuses based on established KPIs
– Celebrate: together with the team! Team-building activities are a great way to reward sustained effort.
Here are a few lines written by Nicolae Titulescu:
“And even if I am not a lighthouse, but merely a candle, it is enough, for I have strived to kindle the light…”,
I’ll conclude on a humorous note: in this economy, candles are extremely valuable, for they light the way, provide comfort, and don’t burn a hole in your pocket…!
