The Managers We Need

In his recent book, The Leaders We Need, Michael Maccoby explains why the business leaders that served us well in the past are not the leaders we need for the future. He argues that the changing character of American workers—especially those considered “knowledge workers”—requires a different type of managerial intelligence. (Knowledge-worker, a term coined by Peter Drucker, is one who works primarily with information or one who develops and uses knowledge in the workplace.) Managers who are effective collaborators and possess an increased level of “people intelligence” will be more effective than managers who lack this intelligence, according to Maccoby. His thesis and research findings strongly resonate with me because I have long believed that managers need a greater understanding of people-based principles to be effective leaders in organizations.

The Changing Character of the American Worker
Maccoby claims that the changing structure of American families—working mom and dad, more single-parent homes, kids growing up with less respect for authority—combined with changes in companies, have begun to shape work environments in which people value traditional leadership less. The paternalistic leadership model that flourished in the twentieth century is losing its footing. Employees can no longer count on these leaders or their organizations for lifetime employment —even promised pensions may be lost as great companies of the past restructure, downsize, or are acquired by others.

The knowledge worker, who desires a more interactive role in the organization, often knows more about their job than does the boss. They are specialists challenged to collaborate across boundaries. This requires the manager’s role to change from an all-knowing parental figure to someone who clearly adds value for followers. The changing work environment creates a need for collaborators who are able to facilitate the coming together of knowledge workers.

Today’s Managers
Most of my involvement as a management consultant has dealt with organizational change through the development and implementation of quality systems. Through this involvement, I have unintentionally acquired strong doses of “people intelligence” through repeated immersions into organizational cultures. I have learned that even though executives are generally capable of developing key performance objectives, upper- and mid-level managers often lack the people intelligence, or “organizational capacity,” to implement those objectives effectively. Contributing to the lack of managerial knowledge are business leaders who rarely understand that leadership development, especially in this age of knowledge workers, requires continual learn-ing, especially learning about people and how they work together in organizational settings.

The Managers We Need
I think the managers that I have worked with over the past 15 years would be better managers if they were to gain at least a cursory understanding of key organizational principles. For example, they would be better equipped to lead if they understood when and why team decisions are more effective than individual decisions; or how they as managers influence and sometimes sway the organizational culture; or that the process of change is sometimes more important than the change itself. We need managers who are capable of carrying out the mission, objectives, and strategy. The model below this paragraph shows the foundational principles to building organizational capacity in managers. I believe that managers who understand these principles will make better collaborators and possess an increased level of managerial intelligence. These are the managers we need.

(Click directly on model to view larger)

Doug Hammer
Adjunct Professor for Biola University
MA in Organizational Leadership