為什么說你不該像“教父”那樣當領導
????上周,我有幸在費城的曼恩劇院觀看了我最喜愛的美國電影——由弗朗西斯·福特·科波拉執導,改編自馬里奧·普佐同名小說的《教父》,費城交響樂團為電影進行了現場伴奏。影片一開始,瑭·維托·柯萊昂責備他的朋友阿梅里戈·博納塞拉沒有早一點向他尋求幫助,向那些傷害阿梅里戈女兒的小混混們討回公道。瑭告訴阿梅里戈,如果他早些來求助,問題可能早已解決,“如果像你這樣的老實人得罪了誰,那么你的敵人也就會是我的敵人。那么,他們也肯定會怕你。” ????對于通過使人“畏懼”來領導隊伍,瑭·柯里昂曾一度得心應手。而當他的兒子邁克爾接管家族事業之后,這種領導方式最終帶來了自我毀滅性的結果。 ????雖然這部電影拍攝于40多年前,但現在提起它正合時宜,因為最近恰好出現了一份新報告——《為何你不能威嚇銀行家做正確的事》。該項研究由普華永道和倫敦商學院聯手完成,調查了保險業、財富管理及銀行業的管理者們對獎金、加薪及升職等方面的選擇性做法。 ????一項對2,431名管理者的調查結果顯示,能激勵人們把工作做得更好的,不是錯過機會的恐懼,而是獲得收益的欲望。 ????該調查向一半受訪者提出了這樣一個問題:“假如財年即將結束,而你的業績落后于其他同事。如果無法超過他們,你就會失去豐厚的獎金。你對此會有什么感受?”面對這種情景,選擇“心情焦慮”的受訪者,比選擇“感到興奮”的多出15%,而相對于另一半受訪者——他們作為對照組,問題背景關注于其年底的正面收獲,調查顯示,前一半受訪者做出不道德行為的可能性,是后者的兩倍以上。 ????該報告解釋稱:“焦慮會削弱人們做出優質決策的能力,往往導致他們更容易鋌而走險。” ????這項研究還例舉出更多證據證明,基于關懷而非威脅的領導方式才是管理者實現員工滿意、行為誠信和客戶滿意的關鍵。要成為高素質的領導者,關懷是不可或缺的要素之一。但關懷到底是什么? ????關懷 ????關懷首先是一種強烈的情感或熱情。它意味著深切關注他人的健康和幸福。當然,充滿關懷的領導者不僅要懷有一腔樂于助人之情,還要付諸于實踐。沒有實際行動的關懷毫無意義,就像一部被評為G級(老幼皆宜)的昆汀·塔倫蒂諾電影。 ????我在之前的專欄中曾提到,泰勒·斯威夫特站出來反對蘋果公司對音樂藝術家們不公平補償政策的行為表明:她是一名服務型領導者。謙遜是服務型領導者的典型標志,因為類似泰勒·斯威夫特這樣的人,他們是在用其公眾平臺為所有人謀利益。 ????而在商界,服務型領導者還要立足于關懷,因為提升一家公司業績最有效的方式就是照顧好公司最重要的元素:員工。其中也包括管理層。《新“一分鐘管理者”》(The New One-Minute Manager)一書的作者肯·布蘭查德上周告訴我,他與許多《財富》500強公司打了一輩子交道,并從中認識到,人們“希望在一家能讓自己感覺有贏的機會、能實現目標的企業工作。”他表示,聰明的領導者會將“表揚、發現員工做對的事并為他們加油鼓勁”變成一種習慣。 ????管理者和員工滿意度高,將帶來一項企業成功的關鍵要素:滿意的客戶。 |
????Last week I had the pleasure of seeing my favorite American film, Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo’sThe Godfather, at the Mann Theater in Philadelphia with live accompaniment by the Philadelphia Orchestra. In the opening scene, Don Vito Corleone admonishes his friend, Amerigo Bonasera, for taking so long to ask for help in seeking justice against the hoods who harmed Amerigo’s daughter. Not only would Amerigo’s immediate problem have been solved, the Don notes, but if “by chance if an honest man such as yourself should make enemies, then they would become my enemies. And then they would fear you.” ????Leading through fear worked well for Don Corleone—for a time. Once his son, Michael, took over the family affairs, however, that leadership style eventually became self-destructive. ????The screening of this film, now over 40 years old, proved to be timely in the wake of a new report entitled, “Why You Can’t Scare Bankers Into Doing the Right Thing.” This study, a joint project of PricewaterhouseCoopers and theLondon Business School, looked at the choices that managers in insurance, wealth management, and banking make with respect to bonuses, pay raises, and promotions. ????A survey of 2,431 managers revealed that people do better work when they’re motivated by the desire to achieve benefits rather than by the fear of missing opportunities. ????“Imagine it’s coming to the end of the business year,” the survey asked half of the participants. “You’re lagging behind your colleagues. If you don’t do better than them you’ll lose your substantial bonus. How does that make you feel?” Managers presented with this scenario were 15% more anxious than excited and more than twice more likely to act unethically compared with their counterparts, who were presented with an end-of-year scenario that focused on positive outcomes. ????“Anxiety disrupts people’s capacity to make good decisions, often leading them to behave less ethically,” the report explained. ????This research provides yet more evidence that leadership based on care, rather than intimidation, is the key to a satisfied workforce, honorable behavior, and happier clients. Care is an essential component of high-character leaders. But what exactly is care? ????Care ????Care is first and foremost a strong feeling or passion. It means having a deep concern for the well-being and flourishing of others. Of course, caring leaders do more than feel strongly about helping people. They put those feelings into action. Care without action is as meaningless as a G-rated Quentin Tarantino film. ????In my previous column, I talked about how standing up to Apple’s unfair compensation policies for musical artists revealed Taylor Swift to be a servant-leader. Humility is a hallmark of servant leadership, because servant-leaders like Swift use their public platform to advance the interests of all. ????But servant leadership in business is also based on care, because the best way to advance an organization’s mission is by looking after the most important element of the company: its employees. And that includes its management. Ken Blanchard, author of The New One-Minute Manager, told me last week that his lifelong work with many Fortune 500 companies has taught him that people “want to be in organizations where they feel that they have a chance to win and accomplish goals.” Smart leaders, Ken notes, make it a habit of “praising and catching people doing things right and cheering them on.” ????Satisfied managers and employees lead to a crucial component of successful businesses: satisfied clients. |