“You manage things, processes, systems and performance, but never people”

The statement “You manage things, processes, systems and performance, but never people” was highlighted in a recent advert for a course about performance reviews in the May 2013 issue of Management Today.  The statement by course facilitator Angela Williamson jumped out at me because minus the word performance it is a statement I have been making for 20+ years!  Is this crucial aspect of performance leadership finally catching on?

Elsewhere in the same issue of Management Today are reported reflections from Dr Marshall Goldsmith, perhaps the preeminent leadership coach in the world today - “Most organisations focus on what they can do to engage the employee, not what employees can do to engage themselves.”

Lead people.  

Leadership is about inspiration and influence.  I describe leadership as

the art of inspiring people to bring everything remarkable that they are to everything they do.

Co-create with your people a culture that inspires leadership being everyone’s business.  Such a culture enables people to engage themselves.

Your success however will largely be determined by how much management is in harmony with leadership.  

I describe management as

the practice that makes it simple for people to bring everything remarkable that they are to everything they do.

How could your leadership be more inspiring and influential?  

And how much simpler do your systems and processes need to become so that people are consistently able to bring their best to the work?

Be the difference you want to see in the world.

Ian