Less than a Minute Life Lesson-2410 Promotion and Character

With Power Comes the Responsibility or ???

Each employee is motivated in his own way, for some it is the nature of the job, for some it is the pay, for some it is promotions and the list is endless.

Few look Promotion as a feather on their cap but for some it is a dream true, for some it is a long due & for some it is yet another additional burden.

This article is not about promotion, it is about how people handle the power that comes along with the promotion.

Let's classify the promoted employees as follows based on their behaviour:

1. Boss

2. Manager

3. Leader

Boss - The word boss here is an autocratic person who uses his power to control the people under him.

When a person behaves autocratically he generates fear and resentment among his subordinates who in turn develops negative attitude towards in their job as well as the organization.

There is saying, employees don't quit the organization they quit their immediate bosses.

The power in the hands of a person who exhibits bossism is like a sword in the hands of a careless amateur.

If an organization gives more weightage to job competencies and focuses less on people development skills it lands up in producing bosses and breeds a bossing culture.

if the job demands people development, it is always better to pay attention to human elements before we promote a person.

Manager: Some assume the new role as managing function and lands up seeing subordinates as resources and starts managing them. Though they are not harmful like the above boss but they might land up focusing more on the task and starts putting pressure for achieving results.

The people under him/ Her slowly starts disengaging in the organization and hence might develop hostility towards the manager.

Organization should ensure whether the person is balanced both on the task and people before he/she is promoted.

Leader- A word that has multi-dimensional meaning, the qualities that is extensively researched and employees look for people who can lead them.  People with situational leadership qualities truly live the saying with power comes the responsibility

They see power as a responsibility and hence focus on developing people under them, who in turn develop the organization.

If you are reading this article as a newly promoted employee evaluate what type of person you are.

If you are a head of an organization evaluate what type of people you had promoted.

There is a saying power corrupts and hence the person who misuses the power is questioned but in reality, the person

person who promotes such people should be questioned.

Remember to be a boss or a manager you require a promotion but to be a leader you require a positive attitude towards self and others.

Your visiting cards might not have the word leader printed on it but heart and soul can be embedded with leadership.

Written by: M.L. Narendra Kumar