Strangely enough, there is no classic personality type that is more inclined to have difficulty with this tendency than others. Many managers, who are very caring and responsive to the needs and feelings of those around them in their personal lives, do not portray these characteristics in the work place. There seems to be a natural drive to impose our will upon our subordinates. Acting as though the rules only apply to subordinates, seems to be a universally basic flaw in the human personalities of those of us who aspire to be managers. I believe that it is borne of our unrecognized lust for power. We do not recognize the lust for power, therefore we do not recognize the results of it. We need to feel that there are noble purposes for the sacrifices we make and require of our families and friends as we succeed in the business world. Most of us believe we are driven by the need to serve our families and communities in more effective ways. We usually believe we are driven by a need to accumulate as much wealth as possible to provide greater security for our families. Some just view themselves as competitive and have a need to accomplish more than their peers. After all, being competitive is an American virtue.
Not being honest with ourselves, as to why we do what we do, makes it exceedingly difficult to recognize the need for changes in how we personally interact with the subordinate members of our teams.
DAN ROBLING©