Amplifiers. Tom Finegan

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amount of derivative work has been written based on his principles. Many of the current-day management philosophies are driven by his concepts. Even as these management practices have evolved over the past decades since Drucker wrote his material, little work has been done to discover traits that make great workers great.

      Unlike theories on management, which focus on the “elite few,” very little has been written on individual contributors. Yet these individuals—those who are being managed—make up the majority of employees at many companies and are largely responsible for carrying out the organization's strategic goals. Understanding workers—whether they are subordinates or followers—is a worthwhile study for any leader or manager. Flipping the management theory coin and taking a closer look at employees who are being managed reveals greater insight into how to achieve higher performance from those teams.

      Another change in how knowledge workers get work done is the agile method of running projects and accomplishing work. This style democratizes the nature of work, placing more emphasis on the workers responsible for getting the work done than on the managers overseeing the teams. The following summarizes a few key characteristics of good workers.

       Subject Matter Aspects

       Subject matter expertise or competency

       Accreditation and special training

       Company and industry knowledge

       Technical Aspects

       Project planning and oversight

       Team construction and oversight

       Problem deconstruction and solving

       Risk management and contingency planning

       Nontechnical and People Aspects

       Communication

       Performance management

       Professional development

       Administrative Aspects

       Risk and issue resolution and management

       Budgeting and forecasting

       Goal setting and tracking

       Compliance

      —John Hope Bryant

      There is so much confusion regarding what leadership is and what it is not. There is an abundance of books and articles written about leadership. Many universities have courses devoted to studying leadership. But far too often we miss the point. Simply because someone occupies a chair does not make them a leader. Additionally, leaders with charisma or popularity can seduce employees by their style. When we follow these individuals, we often find ourselves in regrettable positions.

      What's more, we often feel that leadership is good when that is not necessarily the case. I was in a bookstore several years ago browsing business books and noticed the title of the book, Bad Leadership written by Barbara Kellerman. The main premise of the book is that there have been some great leaders, who have inspired countless followers, into horrible outcomes. This is true on the world stage, as shown by Adolph Hitler, as well as in the business world, as shown by Dennis Kozlowski at Tyco or Jeffrey Skilling at Enron. I used to think of these individuals as horrible leaders. However, when evaluating them in the context of their ability to persuade others to follow, they were actually great leaders with bad motives or bad styles that led to horrible outcomes. Although we may not agree with the direction a leader is taking, it is dangerous to deny that individual is a leader. They, in fact, check many of the leadership boxes, display numerous leadership traits, and ultimately are successful as measured by the number of followers they amass.

      One of my favorite debates is whether a trait such as leadership or entrepreneurialism is born or learned behavior. It's hard to watch toddlers, barely able to walk, in a playground and not see leaders and followers in action. There is already something psychologically at play with these children causing one to lead and another to follow. Could it have been the development for the first twelve months or is it DNA? It is likely a bit of both. There is an instinct, environment, and development aspect for leadership.

      Leadership in sports is another fascinating topic. Years ago, Chuck Knoll, the famed head coach of the Pittsburg Steelers, spoke to our company about teamwork. What struck me was that the Steelers organization was filled with professional athletes, all heralded as leaders as they progressed to the highest levels of football. The Steelers won four Super Bowl titles under the Hall of Fame quarterback,

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