Mastering Management: The Four Essential Roles Every Leader Must Embrace
Explore the four essential roles of a manager as detailed in "First, Break All The Rules." Reflect on your daily tasks—how many align with these key responsibilities?
Before joining Carter Myers Automotive, I worked at EnergyCAP, an energy management software company started by my dad. Over time, my two brothers and I joined him and grew the company together. It was a fantastic experience, and I learned a lot about business and teamwork.
Initially, I focused on enterprise-level sales to large organizations, but eventually, I moved into marketing. I never intended to be a manager; I preferred working independently and using my skills to market software. However, as the company grew, we needed to expand our team. Despite having no management training, I led a six-person marketing team, including a videographer, graphic designer, SEO specialist, copywriter, and art director.
One significant project was converting our website to a new content management system. I lacked technical and graphic design skills and relied heavily on my team. As the leader, I felt immense pressure to meet our goals. I felt anxious and frustrated when my project manager informed me that we wouldn't meet the deadline.
I realized my anger stemmed from feeling responsible for outcomes I couldn't control directly. This experience taught me a crucial lesson: a manager's job is not to deliver results individually but to trust and equip their team to achieve those results.
This is why promoting star performers to management roles based solely on their skills doesn't always lead to success. Being a great performer doesn't necessarily mean someone will be a great manager. Management requires different skills, including leading, motivating, and developing a team. It's about shifting from doing the work yourself to enabling others to do their best work.
The four essential roles of a manager are described in the Gallup book First, Break All The Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. According to the book, a manager must excel in the following activities:
1. Select a Person
Finding the right person for the job is crucial. Evaluate candidates based on motivation, work initiation, collaboration, and thought processes. This ensures that the person is the right fit for the role and the team.
Reflection Questions:
How do I assess a candidate's fit for the role and team?
What criteria do I use to evaluate potential hires?
How successful have my hiring decisions been in the past?
2. Set Expectations
Clear expectations are foundational for performance, engagement, measurement, and improvement. Employees need to know what is expected of them to focus and prioritize their tasks effectively.
Reflection Questions:
How do I communicate expectations to my team?
Do my team members understand their roles and responsibilities?
How often do I review and adjust expectations with my team?
3. Motivate the Person
Recognizing wins, providing growth opportunities, fostering a positive environment, and understanding what motivates each team member are critical aspects of managing. These help drive high performance and wellbeing.
Reflection Questions:
How do I recognize and celebrate my team's achievements?
What strategies do I use to motivate my team members?
How well do I understand what drives each team member?
4. Develop the Person
Helping employees grow is essential for their career development and personal satisfaction. Lack of growth is why employees leave, so managers must focus on developing their team members.
Reflection Questions:
How do I support my team's professional development?
What opportunities do I provide for my team to learn and grow?
How do I track and measure my team's development progress?
Reflecting on these roles, I encourage you to think about your tasks. Please take a moment to list your tasks from yesterday.
How many of your daily activities align with these four essential roles: selecting, setting expectations, motivating, and developing your team?
Are you focusing on the right things, or must you delegate more effectively?
If you find that many of your tasks don't align with these roles, consider how you can adjust your focus to become a more effective manager.
Being a manager is about building and leading a team that can deliver results. It's about relinquishing control and trusting your team to perform. By mastering these four essential roles, you can drive success through your team and create a positive, productive work environment.