I’ve had the unfortunate experience of being in a position where the management provided no guidance but actively stifled attempts by the workers to, themselves, implement innovative changes. Have you ever heard of such a thing? Worse, have you also survived such an organization?
During a staff meeting the administration proclaimed, “This is not a democracy, it is a dictatorship!”
That is all well and good. Clearly a single decision point allows for decisions to be made very quickly. Unfortunately, in the world we work in there are few decisions that can be made thoughtfully and wisely by one single person. Proclaiming yourself a dictator has strong connotations toward the fact that you will not be looking for help in making decisions or coming up with ideas.
What is most important in these scenarios is the declaration statement itself. You see, at the point you feel the need to declare your dictatorship – your supreme power over all decisions – you have already lost the ship.
Positive Leadership
Some leaders are much more comfortable taking the responsibility of decision making upon themselves, even in the best of times. This is effective in certain scenarios, and when done from a stance of mutual respect can weather most storms.
To be a truly effective leader one must surround themselves with staff and advisers who are creative and motivated. Instead of fearing these peers they empower them. Instead of disregarding their ideas they develop a pool of solutions which can then be selected from. Even though the decision ultimately rests with that one administrator, that “dictator”, they will not be perceived as such because they have created a field of mutual respect.
In the most progressive of cases (the style that I teach), the leader will not be a dictator at all because they will use consensus to arrive at the solution. Instead of making an educated decision they can truly know that the wisdom of the group has spoken and delivered the solution to them.
I am Dictator – Hear Me ROAR
Sadly, when management roars out, “This is not a democracy, it is a dictatorship!” there is a reason that the organization shuts down around them. That is because the statement is only made when the leadership has decided it has a lowered (or zero) value for the staff. It does not trust the staff and, rightly so, the staff may be responding with a reduced trust of the leaders. Where staff has come forward with ideas to right the ship the leadership choose instead to run-aground out of fear that by changing course they show weakness.
Ultimately however this power struggle is already over and the leaders have already lost control. If the staff stays with them after not having their voices heard then the staff will know that they are not valued and will in turn work down to that level of diminished value. Whenever possible, the staff will leave and soon your organization will be competing with your past employees – some of whom will gladly exploit your fresh weaknesses.