My primary goal taking over a new department was simple; to create the type of organization that I would want to work for. That manifesto of sorts was my internal rally cry as I began to make decisions and changes that I hoped would steer our department in the right direction….well the right direction according to me.
A marionettist is a puppeteer that uses strings or wire from above to control marionettes. A marionettist is an amazingly skilled artist, capable of controlling many puppets, and entertaining people by themselves. Imagine a marionettist on stage, hands deftly manipulating strings to choreograph intricate movements with their marionettes. Similarly, the marionettist leader exerts control, pulling strings to direct actions and outcomes within the organization. This leadership approach hinges on micromanagement, rigid oversight where decisions flow from the top down, and autonomy is scarce. The Marionettist approach to leadership treats people like they are lifeless resources like a puppet to be controlled. As masterful and skilled as we may think we are as leaders, this approach is flawed when dealing with real people.
People want to be a part of something great. People want to do significant things. People want their work to have a lasting impact in the world. When employees feel like the work they are doing is going unnoticed or is meaningless they may begin to shut down and do less, or to use the popular buzz word, they “quiet quit”. The last thing people are looking for is to be controlled.
Leaders that fall under the Marionettist type of leadership will often say or think things like:
When I’m not involved, employees mess up.
It will save me time if I just do this myself.
There is too much on the line to allow this to go wrong.
My mindset wasn’t to try to control the organization at all and even though my initial intentions were good. The better question to ask is, “How can we build the type of organization we all want to work for?” It went from my goal to our goal. Our goal was now to cultivate a great culture, and that requires buy-in and feedback from everyone within the organization. The goal is to get everyone rowing in the same direction. This was the only way to produce a culture and the energy to meet our goal.
As leaders it is our job to create the best conditions so that our team can make a positive impact and do significant things. Ben Zander from the Boston Philharmonic famously said, “The conductor of an orchestra doesn’t make a sound. He depends, for his power, on his ability to make other people powerful”. To the untrained eye the conductor is just waving their arms in the air but the role they play is much more involved than that.
Conductors are often referred to as maestro. They put their own stamp on each musical performance and create a unified vision for each performance. Envision a maestro leading an orchestra, baton swaying in rhythm, eliciting emotive melodies from each instrument. The maestro leader embodies inspiration and guidance, igniting passion and purpose within their team. They foster a culture of autonomy and collaboration, where individuals are encouraged to innovate and contribute. Their leadership efforts begins with selecting the musicians whose playing style and tone fit the orchestra. They work with the orchestra during rehearsals and teach them how to best interpret the music. The conductor utilizes the talent and knowledge of his orchestra to bring together the best possible performance. The maestro exemplifies an example of excellence and sets a high standard within the organization.
A maestro is a leader, an artist, and a guide for those in the orchestra. They set the tempo or the pace for each performance, make sure that musicians are accountable, and meet the performance standards set during each practice. An interesting study from the University of Maryland demonstrated that the more influence the conductor demonstrated in leading the orchestra the more aesthetically pleasing the music was overall.
Steve Jobs famously said, “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do”. We bring people into our organizations because we believe they are capable of making a difference. We spend time, effort and resources training them so their capabilities will grow. For employees to truly reach the best version of themselves we need to give them the autonomy to grow. This doesn’t mean there is a lack of accountability or expectations on the final product. Set the expectation, share the vision, lead by example, and support their growth and ideas.
Intrinsic motivation is the main driver for success in an organization and entrusting employees with greater autonomy is the foundational method to achieve it. The more I included employees in decision making the better our organization became. When employees feel valued and motivated, their potential is unleashed as they strive toward collective goals with passion and enthusiasm. Our greatest successes came when the box grew to fit all the employees’ feedback and goals. Here are just a few examples:
We began a “Leadership Council.” Employees were voted in by their peers. They helped make multiple policies and brought to light many things management was blind too.
We established a “Safety Committee” to help create a grass roots culture of safety.
Little things like flavors in the soda machine went to a vote to make sure all voices were heard.
As leaders we need to focus on the results and not the minuscule details in the process. I found our organization had more success after we revised our weekly progress meeting to include an improved recap of the previous week. This provided more feedback to understand how each team was doing with big-picture goals without getting bogged down in the day-to-day details. This also allowed for great dialogue between team members and opened the door for more feedback in both directions. These meetings brought clarity not only to management but also informed other departments and employes of the contributions being made throughout the organization.
When you are a maestro type leader you allow everyone the autonomy and space to become the best version of themselves. Employee morale will increase, productivity will rise as employees become more and more engaged. Great orchestras feature virtuoso musicians that complement and strengthen each other and just like any high performing organization the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. By taking on the role of a maestro you can guide talent to work together and produce something extraordinary and orchestrate a symphony of success in your organization.
Questions of the week.
1. Do you ever fall under the Marionettist type of leadership and say or think things like?
When I’m not involved, they mess up.
It will save me time if I just do this myself.
There is too much on the line to allow this to go wrong.
2. How can you give your employees more autonomy in their job?
Challenge for this week
Give your team members more responsibility, let them do something that you usually do and see what happens.
Thoughts from others
“Micromanagement is the destroyer of momentum”
~Miles Anthony Smith
“Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results”
~George S. Patton
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