Canadian Government Executive - Volume 23 - Issue 03

28 / Canadian Government Executive // March/April 2017 Middle Management John Wilkins Cases in the news show how institutional governance responds in different situations. Strong, resilient governments survive the wrongdoing of loose-cannon politicians when citizens elect new leadership. Antiquated, entrenched administrations embroiled in politics and scandal are liberated when governments embrace fundamental reform. Facing harsh realities For many middle managers, the grass seems greener in senior management. But seizing the brass ring means remaining realis- tic. Ron Edmondson poses ten harsh realities of leadership: 1. You will be unpopular at times. Change is difficult and opens emotional wounds. People will blame you for changes happen- ing in their lives because of the changes you make as a leader. 2. You will have to make decisions no one else will make. Lead- ers challenge the paradigm and inspire people to follow. Hope- fully, it leads to discovering a better reality. 3. You have to be able to see farther than today. Leaders leverage influence today for something better that may not be realized until some tomorrow. 4. You will not be successful long by making excuses. You will be more likely to attract followers if you own your mistakes. Hu- mility is an admired leadership trait. 5. You can motivate, but you cannot mandate. Attempting to con- trol or coerce people to produce more will not work long-term. People will rebel, fail to live up to potential, or leave. 6. You are only as good as your team. If your team is lousy, you will be considered lousy too, even if you are a good leader. 7. You will be defined by the investment made in others. Great ideas or personal successes are fleeting. Investments in people last longest and pay forward. 8. You cannot avoid conflict indefinitely. Little things become big things. Hidden or unresolved conflict eventually explodes. 9. You will be misunderstood at times. Despite good intentions and communications, you will still be misunderstood. It is part of leading people who are different from you. 10.You cannot neglect yourself for long. You will crash and burn if you do not take care of yourself. The public service warrants a new brand of leadership in which soft people skills mollify hard-edged managerialism. Middle man- agers must develop the ethical competence to increase the capac- ity for doing good work. Trust in government is earned when core values and ordinary citizens’ needs are satisfied. Public institu- tions perform reliably and deliver results accountably when led with authenticity. J ohn W ilkins is Executive in Residence: Public Management at York University. jwilkins@schulich.yorku.ca. He was a career public servant and diplomat. I n the current environment, we seem to value doubting more than doing, criticism more than compassion, and cynicism more than optimism. Even though we live in this back- ground noise of negativity and opinion, people themselves rarely disappoint. Public servants are regular people with real problems asked to deal with the real needs of real people. To serve the public good, they must be believable, genuine, and live among those they serve. They are imperfect people striving in anonymity for perfection. They thrive on self-examination, making things right for government and promoting unity, harmony, and healthy relationships within society. In Pathways to Performance, Jim Clemmer wrote: “Where you are in the organization is less important than what you are … Now that doesn’t mean you must have a ‘leadership’ job in the traditional management sense. Rather, it means you are trying to initiate and guide change and improvement in a team, business or organization. But before you try to change anyone else, you’ve got to change your- self. Self-leadership is at the heart of effectively leading others.” Authentic leadership Leadership is hard, elusive, and not always glamorous. Personal values and motivations shape attitudes and behaviours. ‘Walking the talk’ moulds character and helps build trusting relationships. Knowing your capabilities is the start of learning competence. Much of what passes as authentic leadership can be a pleasant fiction. Brand management is today’s preferred top-level strategy. In The New Path to Prosperity, Mikael Meir puts stock in seven leadership practices to stem disaster, empower leaders, and pro- mote greatness. The lingering question is: What comes first, good governance or good leadership? Many believe that one cannot exist without the other. But what seems true is that good governance can survive bad leadership, whereas effective leadership is rarely sustained under a governance regime without virtue. Authenticity in Middle Management I always thought it would be better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody. — THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY (1999) DISASTER SIGNS • Greed • Misplaced values • Arrogance • Lack of trust • Deep distracƟon • Disengagement • Fear LEADER’S ANTIDOTE 1. Service focus 2. IntenƟonal values 3. Humility 4. Heart centred 5. Presence based 6. Compassion 7. Faith filled