Nobody in their right mind would knowingly put his or her life in the hands of someone who lacks the training, skills and license required to operate a piece of machinery as complex and consequential as an airplane. Likewise, an airline would never assign ground personnel to pilot a plane simply because they did a great job at checking in passengers. Why then is it common practice for so many other businesses to fill leadership positions with people who lack the ability to lead?
Think of all the people in your life you would suddenly notice if they didn’t have a clue about what they were doing. Your kid’s nanny. The surgeon about to remove your appendix. Your local fire fighters. The architect designing the new roof on your house. Your tax accountant. Your favorite sports team’s coach. There are certain positions that carry with it enough responsibility for us to expect its holders to be adequately prepared for the job.
Anyone who has ever organized a bake sale knows that much of its success depends on how excited your people are to contribute their time, skills, and salesmanship and collaborate towards a greater cause. However, when it comes to hiring or promoting the persons to manage rapidly growing and diverse workforces in ever more complex work environments, the one thing we don’t look for in their qualifications is proven people skills. On top of that, there are precious few companies willing and prepared to provide the training and support needed for new managerial hires to master the craft of motivating, organizing and building good relationships with their teams.
Imagine the stress and frustration we could spare aspiring leaders as well as employers if there were proper management training protocols in place. Imagine the time, energy and money that could be saved if all members of a team felt comfortable and empowered in their respective roles, rather than confused and unmotivated. Imagine all the corporate crash landings we could prevent by requiring our leadership to be as qualified as our pilots.
On this blog, I plan to highlight some of the most common pitfalls in the world of corporate leadership, as well as shed a light on how to train, choose and become better leaders. I will draw from my many years of executive leadership in the German automobile sector to offer thoughts, tips and anecdotes that will hopefully serve as inspiration as well as valued resources to my readers. Whether through short commentary or more in-depth analysis, if I can raise the overall profile of this much neglected but eminently important corporate domain, my mission will be successful.
I invite you to follow me on this journey and look forward to hearing your feedback.
Andreas Hagedorn
PS: In keeping with my own commitment to listening and learning, I have enlisted my German compatriot and veteran of the English language, Sven Eberlein, to help me in the crafting of my posts.