Be in Command and Take Charge

Rule 99

It is acknowledged that many leaders do not have empathy, but it observed that those who lack empathy lack the ability to move people. Leaders who can instill an atmosphere of working together gain respect, taking charge without taking control.
Warren Bennis, On Becoming a Leader

You are a manager, so manage. Managing means just that, managing. Managing to work effectively. Managing to be in charge. Managing to be in command.
There seems to be a new movement in which managers are frightened to take command. They seem reluctant to assume control in case their team might resent this or accuse them of being a dictator. Nothing could be further from the truth. Teams with good, strong, commanding, managers go a lot further because they know there is a captain at the helm. Without a captain we are all at sea – lost, scared, about to crash on the rocks. In a way it almost doesn’t matter what captain we’ve got, just so long as we’ve got someone with their hand on the rudder. We all know the first mate does all the real sailing anyway, so the captain can be whatever, but the first mate can’t function unless they know there is someone there, at the helm.
You’ve got to be a hero to your team and a good second-in-command to your boss. You have to be all these old-fashioned things:

- dependable
- reliable
- strong
- trustworthy
- faithful
- loyal
- staunch
- dedicated
- accountable

Boy, it’s all order, a tough call. But the rewards are immense. Being a manager is a fabulous job if you handle it right, abide by the rules and play it straight.

“Managing Yourself
The Rules of Management by Richard Templar”
Photo by Microsoft