Leading From Behind - Team Based Management !

“Leading from behind" is a management style born from the genesis of team-based, learning organizations. The ship’s captain is the last one off the ship when problems abound, the shepherd is behind the flock guiding them, and the generals are not the ones on the front lines.  In former South African President Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, he references the shepherd and his flock. In his story he relates, “a shepherd walks behind his flock, making sure they all stay together and keeps them moving in the right direction”.

The pyramid as we baby boomers knew it – management on top and associates on the bottom - flipped in the mid-1990s. As the philosophy of “team based environment” grew, so did the understanding that the original bottom of the pyramid, the workers, were actually the ones who generated the dollars. The logic is simple and is in response to this business analogy – “If management did not come into work today, would the organization still run?” respond.  “If the associates did not come into work today, would the place still run?  respond.

The new pyramid reflects the value of the associates in the organization (they are, after all, our greatest assets). Our responsibility is to ensure we provide our management and associate staffs the tools they need to perform their job responsibilities.  Building excellence into every aspect of the company by focusing on creating a workplace that encourages EVERYONE to contribute is the primary component of World Class Environments.  Coaching and team building are the fundamentals of the lead-from-behind philosophy. 

Coaching High Performance Work Teams

Coaching is defined as education, lessons, instruction, training, or schooling.  Coaches instill fundamentals. Coaches build teamwork (“we are only as strong as our weakest link”). Coaches evaluate and adjust (H we are not all alike). Coaches reinforce and motivate. Coaches help every team member see how each of them is important to the team’s success. Coaches help find out which specific skills the organization values, and why (micro-education eliminates micro-managing). Coaches encourage staffs to take risks by building a supportive environment that lets them learn from failures (“experience is the fruit from the tree of errors”). Managers who see themselves as coaches tend to see their employees as individuals of innate talent and worth.

 

Today’s success in any organization large or small is its people. Empowering employees to make their own decisions based on sound educational judgment is imperative for survival (“give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man HOW to fish and you feed him for life”). Top-level managers recognize a team-based environment is a benefit (the key) to their organization and their bottom line cost savings.  Once you’ve coached your team and taught them the skills to achieve, get out of the way and lead from behind.