How Are You Wired?
Sunday, March 15, 2009 at 12:36AM http://stevewoodruff.wordpress.com
Last week, in my Sunday School class for young teens, we were in the middle of a discussion about Joseph (11th of Israel’s 12 sons), one of the more amazing men of character found in the Bible, and quite a shrewd businessman and administrator.
Part of the reason that Joseph’s star rose so quickly in the eyes of all who worked with him was his outstanding competence in two critical areas. He was wired for excellence not only as a manager, but as a leader.
I explained to the kids that most of us will tend to find our best effectiveness in one of three main categories; and while some may be quite gifted in two, our internal “wiring” will predispose us toward either leading, managing, or doing.
Leaders typically look around and see what is not yet, but could be, and are restless to make the “could be” happen. They tend to be more visionary, like to break fresh ground, and (often quite naturally) “activate” others. Most entrepreneurs, of course, have leadership wiring.
Managers excel at taking the roadmap, and orchestrating the people to move forward together toward the vision. They organize, administer, delegate; and they know how to turn large goals into achievable tasks. Smart entrepreneurs find great managers once a company and its offerings begin to take shape.
Doers aren’t particularly gifted at big picture thinking or being on stage, nor do they necessarily want to spend their energies getting others to do their work. They just want to focus on the task at hand, and if given the right tools and opportunity and “space” to perform, will excel at producing specific results. Think about craftsmen, who can come in, measure your kitchen, select the materials, design beautiful cabinets, and install them flawlessly, and who would actually resent it if they had to deal with others (who’d slow them down).
Any company, organization, or other grouping needs all three types of people. Joseph became second-in-command in the nation of Egypt because he was, first of all, an amazing administrator, but also showed himself to be a visionary leader.
I’m convinced that much work-related misery could be avoided if people understood that professional advancement is not, in many cases, moving up a ladder into management. Many very effective salespeople and other “doers” are locked into a scheme whereby they are expected to excel in management as the next professional advancement - and, unless they are wired to both “do” well and manage well (a rare combination), it’s a setup for failure.
Many of those who are wired for leadership are suppressed in an organization doing mundane tasks or managing others when, in fact, they need to be blazing new trails; and this is why so many get fed up with the corporate environment and strike out on their own as entrepreneurs.
We are not infinitely malleable. There is such a thing as basic wiring and plumbing in the human psyche, and while we can each develop in our skills and our abilities over time, we should recognize our core tendencies, and carve out a career path (and a set of expectations) that truly reflect what we’re best at. It may take many years for you to realize what your wiring is, and what your true strengths and trajectory are, but once you do, it can be immensely liberating to say, “I need to break new ground” or “I just want to do my job” and excel according to your makeup.
There’s a fourth category we could discuss - the taker - but that’s a character issue, not a matter of constitutional wiring. The takers don’t contribute so much as detract. We all know about that type of person.
What do you think? Have you found your trajectory, or are you still searching? Are these three categories basically on target, or is there a better description?
Here are a few of the most common situations to consider in your anti procrastination efforts.