As a consultant, working with a final decision maker is a hell of a lot easier than someone who is fulfilling a role of authority, but isn’t really empowered.
How can it be that someone can be deemed responsible, but really isn’t?
It happens all the time. I posted earlier about how some project managers are glorified assistants. Well the same is true for some managers. Instead of being allowed to fail, or even understand what’s at risk, they are given just enough information or power to manage impressions.
There are not enough managers exercising leadership within institutions and companies. A leader has a more complex responsibility associated with positive and negative risk, and therefore understands why we are doing the thing we are doing and that it matters as much as how we are doing it. Leadership is 100% about risk and impression management is more about process.
Impression managers like checking boxes. They prefer compliance over risk. This type of management has been cultivated to keep employment. If you shoot for mediocrity and follow rules, you may have a higher chance of staying employed.
So I ask this of all types of managers reading this: are you ready to be a true leader, focused on greater change and higher risk?
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