The other day, I had lunch with one of Denmark’s most talented top managers. A man who, as a mere 27-year-old newly appointed top manager, was ahead of his time with his human vision and strong leadership skills.
An example was a chair that in its time was intended for the chairman of the board, and which was built so that he would sit higher than people around the table – so that the chairman appeared larger and physically looked down on the others – was moved to a corner when he himself took over the post.
The chair he chose instead was built similar to that of the others, and it ensured him to hold meetings at eye level.
The admirable thing is that this man does not yearn for power. He does not have power as his focus but has had and continues to have power. It has accrued and accrues to him naturally by virtue of his skill, embracing personality and ability to set a direction with the right team.
The man has become ‘powerful’ because his inner casting is ‘powerfilled’ and his lack of need for power has made him truly powerful.
During our lunch, I asked him if he might like to share his many experiences, and his answer inspired me to this column.
His answer was: ‘No, because there is no list of facts. What once worked may not work anymore. I know that when I say something, people listen, hence I have a responsibility not to appear to know the answers.
I have met several leaders, especially the newly appointed ones, who demand this fact list. The list of answers with two dashes below.
The managers want me to recommend them a so-called management handbook, and my answer is every time that it does not exist. For leadership happens in the moment, and leadership succeeds in the moment if you are ‘powerfilled’. Because if you are ‘powerfilled’, you are translated filled with power that you can offer rather than take away from others.
If you therefore have the power to give, management succeeds. Because then the right action is tailored in a timely manner. Selfless and mutual.
You cannot educate for the right action, but you can train for it, and an essential part of this formation is that you take responsibility for your own self-management.
Self-management can be done by prioritizing the necessary calm and withdrawal, which i.a. releases more of the brain chemistry that sharpens the sensory apparatus so that one can recognize and make oneself realizations.
It is optimal use of this sensory apparatus that strengthens our intuition and thus leadership skills to succeed with the right result in the moment, but our sensory apparatus does not work optimally without pauses.
Being able to optimize self-awareness and in addition make oneself realizations are the fast track to increased conscious leadership of oneself and others, because more personal power is generated – and this power scales the successful leaders, who are truly powerful.
Of course, it would have been easiest if the list of facts we all crave from time to time existed, but it does not exist, and if it did, it would have to be changed anyway. For we are in a new age where most things are revisited: ‘What once worked may no longer work’.
Therefore, let´s take a step back and breathe a little before, in the delusion of regaining the control we may experience losing in a time of change, we begin rewriting the old management handbook and replace it with a new one.
Let us reflect on whether one of Denmark’s most talented top managers, who does not want to give us a conclusion, may in fact have given us one. Namely that facts do not exist when dealing with people.
Comments