Today, the world needs a new kind of manager – one who understands the new world.
Companies must be lean, mean, innovative, future-sighted, resourceful, quick to adapt, competitive, and bold. Today’s managers must realize that business success, even survival, depends on managers creating that dream team.
8 Key Protean Management Concepts for High Achievement
1) Bring more value to the company and to your department through continuous process and personal improvement. No longer can a day conclude without new ideas, new strategies, and new possibilities being identified, discussed, or implemented in a collaborative forward-thinking manner.
2) Maintain high expectations and achievement standards. Protean managers enthusiastically and professionally lead their teams through interactive and proactive participation; not by dictatorial and demeaning approaches. They communicate stringent expectations and achievement standards in an exciting and passionate manner. There is no place for insecure managers.
3) Communicate and empower individuals and teams to meet achievement standards. Protean managers identify and capitalize on new and untapped opportunities in a synergistic and inspiring environment. This is accomplished by creating an esprit de corps; where all team members fully understand and perform their role and given credit for the team’s successes and achievements.
4) Anticipate obstacles to success. Not unlike generals who predict what the enemy might do – and prepare accordingly, Protean managers take the same approach. They are prepared for the unexpected, and challenge all team members to master this skill. Protean teams anticipate, adapt, and respond quickly in an ever-changing marketplace.
5) Deal with adversity in a constructive and dignified manner. Protean managers keep their cool in times of crisis and when things don’t go according to plan. They don’t blame others or make excuses, they don’t yell or degrade others. Rather, they inspire and empower improvement and adjustment in a calm and confident manner. Protean managers invest 95% of their energy on solutions; not problems. They rally their troops to quickly and expeditiously turn adversities into opportunities.
6) Earn respect of their subordinates, peers, and superiors. Respect is earned; it can’t be demanded or manipulated. Fear and intimidation are not strategies used by Protean managers. Reverence and admiration are earned based on demeanor and action. Protean managers lead by example and know that “respect” is a valued characteristic of all success.
7) Reputation is achieved by producing benchmark results and unparalleled levels of success. Protean managers set aside their egos and always take a little more of the blame when things go wrong, and a little less credit when things go right. Effective Protean managers know success is about results – not ego.
8) Make sound decisions; be wise in judgment. Protean managers make decisions to achieve results that must be achieved – and do so with class and dignity. They benchmark best practices, maximize efficiency and productivity, and integrate technology with human capital. When difficult and unpopular decisions need to be made, Protean managers do so with compassion, empathy, and by treating others as they would want to be treated themselves.
Protean managers are the front line leaders
Protean managers are very much like coaches in sports. Whether Protean managers are head coaches (executive managers), assistant coaches (mid level managers), or assistant-to-assistant coaches (supervisors), all Protean managers must embrace and master these 8 key Protean management concepts.