Wise Leadership Practices - Leaders create a results based framework

Several years ago I spoke with a marketing manager who told me this story. I will call him Alan so that he can’t be identified! In his previous company Alan had been asked to achieve some high performing goals with his marketing team. He asked his leader whether he could allow his people to do whatever they needed to achieve the goals. His reply was ‘yes – whatever it takes – the previous manager didn’t get close to these results; they are stretch goals’.

So Alan met with his team, described the results that needed to be achieved and set out a framework – basically you can work whatever days / hours you like as long as you reach these goals; we will work together with agreed rules. ‘By the way’, he reminded them, ‘I believe that you are all capable of doing this’. The team knew their jobs and quickly saw the potential to have a four day week. They worked out how to approach the challenge with a shorter but better balanced (and motivated) work plan. You may not be surprised to hear that they not only obtained their results – but blasted through the stretch goals with ease.

Proud of his team, Alan met with his leader at the end of the year to receive accolades and awards for high performance. Unfortunately, his leader did not see the difference between a results focused framework and a process management approach. When setting goals for the following year, he added on a 10 % increase seeing enormous future potential. ‘Well’, he said to Alan, ‘if your team could reach those goals in 4 days a week – imagine what they could do in 5 days’! Alan resigned shortly after this.

The difference between leadership and management is important. Managers control every step of the process including time lines; leaders set the end result, a framework for working together and inspire the potential of their people. There is no motivation in following a set process – no room for thinking or taking personal responsibility. Human beings feel motivated when they are able to control their own success and destiny. There is natural motivation in solving a problem. Leaders tap into this and everyone gains.

Clarifying results and setting a framework for working is management of data but forms the basis for good leadership of people. In this sense, a leader must also be a manager or controller of facts and figures on behalf of the team. It enables effective delegation, it takes away uncertainty that can lead to stress and it gives people space and the opportunity to self motivate. Offering rewards is counterproductive – although this feels unintuitive when we have been taught that rewards and punishment will motivate. Daniel Pink has rediscovered the interesting reality – that there is a third type of motivation – intrinsic. The problem is that extrinsic rewards can work short term but kill intrinsic long term motivation

Think about the last time you felt energised and excited about your work…was it when you were managed directly and told what to do and when to do it? Was it when you were offered more money?  It is more likely to be when you had control over your own approach and took responsibility for the results; it is also more likely that it was when there was no external reward unless it was a short term or one-off event.

Effective leaders create a results focused framework; this is the ‘hard’ foundation that enables the space and time for people to take responsibility and realise their potential greatness. People will motivate themselves given the right results framework.