I read an online article from Fast Company, Inc. titled Why no one on your team wants to be a manager anymore – and how to change that1. The article cites a survey from CareerBuilder “of over 3,600 workers” claiming that “most people don’t want to be managers.”
I agree with the author’s assessment that managers have “a very poor reputation.” Why is that? I contend that it starts with interchanging the word manager with leader. There is a distinct difference between the two. Management is about resources, systems, and processes. On the other hand, leadership is about people and influencing them in a positive manner.
Yes, people are resources and as an incident commander on emergencies I managed those resources, but I also led them at the same time. Problems arise when managers, supervisors, bosses, etc. try to manage people as if they were boxes of Styrofoam cups in a warehouse. That approach has never worked, and it never will work.
The underlying problem lies in two areas:
- Technically competent people are promoted into supervisory positions, yet they do not have the training to lead team members. For example, read my August 14, 2024, blog titled Avoiding a Career Tsunami (although I question that individual’s competence to serve in the position she was in).
- Leadership training is either not provided or it is of such inferior quality that the participants completely dismiss the content, presentation, and instructor.
In other words, all of it goes up in a ball of flame and everyone loses.
Is there a solution? Yes! Provide meaningful and relevant leadership training to everyone who supervises people by using qualified internal or external instructors to teach your employees. Return on your investment is worth it.
1Why no one on your team wants to be a manager anymore—and how to change that (fastcompany.com)
