Robin Sieger Blog

There are in business, qualities which are universally admired; entrepreneurship, sales ability, the art of negotiation, networking and many others. In the world of the business book and the sound bite, themes come and go, some resonate better than others. Every couple of years a landmark book comes along that breaks the mould, it takes a different view of our perspective on business.

Leadership has been probably one of the most popular using analogies from sport, with many famous players and award winning managers telling us how to do it their way and success is sure to follow. Also from the world of adventure and exploration we can read about the challenges facing those heroic souls pitting themselves against the unknown, being led with unquestioning faith. Military history has also always been a rich source of management/leadership thinking. The Art of War has been standard text for many managers.

It crossed my mind recently that there are no management books based on kindness. The Kind Manager, The Art of Kind Leadership or Executive Kindness. I guess those of us who write books do not feel it is a powerful word, it lacks bite. I have no doubt the marketing folk at my publishers would fall off their seats, if I included the word 'kind', in a business publication.

It would be erroneous to conclude that kindness has no place in business, however it would be accurate to assume, it is a word we resist, as it tastes of weakness and in a dog eat dog world is a quality that will be exploited.

So as a manager or a leader we generally would prefer to be known as tough, shrewd, wise and efficient, rather than nice, kind, easy going and fun. However when I look back at the managers for whom I gave 110% they were the latter, not the former.

I have known managers who were bullies, insecure and obsessed with command and control, they never praised anyone, under the belief "Well that's what we’re paying you for", they subtly threatened staff with a culture of fear based on various uncomfortable outcomes, they were incapable of motivating their staff, and worst of all I would hear them say "I have 40 people who work for me". The reason it was the worst they could say, is because they were egomaniacs, deluding themselves that the staff worked for them and not the wage slip at the end of the week. Rather than say "I head a team of 40 staff", they have to build themselves up through suggested importance.

The managers who were nice, kind, easy going and fun, were no pushovers, they were tough too. They were result driven. Rather than bully, they encouraged. Rather than threaten unemployment, they focussed on the rewards of success, they were one of the team, but we all knew where the line in the sand was drawn. A mutual respect was observed. When push came to shove, we would put in the extra shift, not for the money, but to not let our team member down.

Twenty, and even thirty years on I can still recall the managers I loved and the managers I hated, strong emotions I know, but the way you make people feel is never forgotten.

You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out the ones I loved were kind. The others …the tough bullies, I remember for all the wrong reason.

As leaders, managers or self employed individuals we all have a choice in the creation of who we are and who we become. I think to be respected professionally, has nothing to do with title rank or status, but everything to do with how you treat others, conduct yourself and deliver on the promise.

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