Several people have mentioned the name Simon Sinek and I have watched several of his videos over the last couple of years, but when I saw his talk on (Employee) Performance vs Trust I really struck a chord for me. Maybe because of my displeasure with my current job so I’m reflecting on what is important for me, in my personal life as well as my job.
In watching this video it validates the ideas I have had and the actions I have taken since taking on a management role. I have done my best to empower my employees to do good thinkings. My role as manager/leader is to ensure the good things they are doing is aligned with the organization’s best interests.
This idea was developed from something one of my managers from many years ago told me which has stuck with me, he said
A good manager clears roadblocks so their workers can get their job done
The words came out of my mouth in a slightly different way the other day when talking to a co-worker
A manager tell people what to do, a leader asks people what should be done
Then, as I browsed other Simon Sinek videos on YouTube, I came across another one which struck a chord. This one is along the same lines, but it talks about why it’s so important for an organaiztion to have good leaders and trust their staff vs. always focusing on the bottom line.
I must admit I have never been head of a struggling organization trying to pay their bills, but I’m hoping if I ever get in that situation I’ll be able to not lose sight of these valuable lessons.
I hope you will be able to learn the lessons from these talks as I have and realize that it’s more important to have a job where you are happy than to make a lot of money.