The Reflection of the Manager

This is true; no matter how effective or ineffective the manager, the team is a reflection of the manager.   Repeatedly, I have seen teams go exactly where their managers are leading - even if they were not conscious of it.

From the leader's perspective, this fact emphasizes the importance of living the type of behavior that you want from your team.   It also gives you insight into the functionings of teams led by other individuals.

Crazy Begets Crazy.   Funny, or sad, or probably both. . .we all recognize that there are managers out there who are just a little bit (or a lot) well. . .crazy.   Regardless of the caliber of their team, its going to rub off on the individuals that they are supposedly leading.   Even if the manager is not directly involved in a discussion, it's rational to expect a certain level of craziness when dealing with this team.    It is difficult to expect a team to be rational if their leader is not.

Insecurity Breeds Uncertainty.    If a team is lead by a manager who is insecure or uncertain. . .you can be assured that members of the team will reflect that insecurity and uncertainty.  There's almost no choice - they do not have a foundational leader to rely upon.

Indifference Brings Apathy.  Then there are leaders who care so little about their work that it rubs off on the remainder of the team.   Seriously, have you ever tried to get personally excited about a project when the owner of the project doesn't care?   It's rough.

Conversely. . .the good news is.

Passion Brings Performance.   Leaders who are excited about their mission will, by osmosis, instill that passion into their team members. 

Hard Work Equals Great Results.  Leaders who genuinely work hard can naturally expect that most of their team members will follow that example and they will have a high functioning team.

Emotional Intelligence Begets Emotional Intelligence.  Leaders who guide their teams with smarts combined with sensitivity are teaching teams the same skill sets - resulting in the team that everyone wants to be part of.

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My book, "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available for e-readers, tablets and PCs on Amazon Kindle.