M For Manager

If you’ve been to a management class then you know the first thing they teach you are the functions of a manager. The functions are classified into planning, leading, organizing and controlling company resources to meet specific strategic goals laid by the company. Every other function such as staffing, coordinating, reporting and budgeting are easily absorbed within those four major function blocks. 

So why do I sound like I am giving you an introduction to  “management” course? Well, maybe because I am. I want to give you a crush program on how to be the best Manager of a company called YOU Inc. You meaning you who is reading this article, and Inc. meaning an incorporated company. 

To contextualize YOU Inc, I mean that you are the manager of your life in general and if you do not apply the functions of planning, leading, organizing and controlling the resources you have, then you will mismanage YOU! That’s why my word for today is Manager. But in order to be a good manager, there are some important characteristics you must have to fit that profile. 

So, what are some of the characteristics of a good Manager? 

Leadership

In order to be an effective manager, you need to be able to lead yourself in an efficient manner first, before you can lead others. A lot of responsibility comes with being a manager, and being able to lead a team is required. With that in mind, how does this apply to being a good leader to yourself?

• Have a vision – yes! Even the good Book does say that “where there is no vision, the people perish” [Proverbs 29:18]. Even during this pandemic, you should still have a vision you are working towards.
• Be adaptive – When life throws a curve ball at you like it has with this COVID-19 situation, instead of losing your cool and panicking all over the place you look for ways to “bend the curve” by adapting to the new normal. For instance, I love how most people have decided to adapt to the idea of wearing masks by matching their masks with the clothes they wear. That is a positive mental attitude that is a sure sign that someone is open minded and ready to change with change. Adapt to change quickly when it happens, and always be willing to learn new ways to do things. 
• Have Courage – a courageous person is also called daring, audacious bold, gritty and a risk taker. But here is the thing; being courageous does not mean you don’t have fear. It means you have mastered the art of putting your fear in check so that you can push ahead with whatever ominous task that may be ahead of you.  Read more on mastering fear here.
• Positive mental attitude (PMA) – A good manager always has a PMA. This is an attitude of being optimistic but realistic at the same time. You choose to look at the brighter side of things while keeping a close eye on the not so bright side of things, which gives you an opportunity to make the right "swing" when the time is right. ​

Those are just a few of the things good leadership entails. There are many others you can read about, but the key thing is to find a way of cultivating those characteristics so you can be a good manager of YOU Inc. 

Knowledge

Many people confuse knowledge with experience. They think getting certificates for attaining a certain level of knowledge means they are now knowledgeable. As long as you cannot translate the knowledge you have acquired into actionable and measurable deliverables, then you just have information. Like I said in a previous post, knowledge means knowing your edge. What is that one thing that will make you standout during this time?

Read the full article on knowledge here.

Organized

Have you ever walked into someone’s office and you couldn’t concentrate because of the level of disorganization in that office? Do you know that the same disorganization you find in that office is likely to be the same disorganization you would find in the person’s house if you visited them? If that is the case, could it be that the same disorganization seen in the office and at home is the same disorganization in the person’s head? You see, someone once said that how you do one thing is how you do everything else. You cannot be discorganized at the office and be organized at home! You cannot be disorganized at home and be organized in your car. If that is the case then, if you are disorganized in one place then it means you are also disorganized in your mind.

You see, whatever you bring forth to this world is first seen in your mind before you see it in reality. If your mind is confused and disorganized then definitely your output will be confused and disorganized. A good manager has an organized mind. A good manager is focused and knows exactly what he or she wants, meaning they are not double-minded; one minute wanting this and the next minute wanting something else. That is a sure sign of a disorganized and divided mind. Remember, “a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:8

To be organized,learn to plan your day, week, month, quarter and year. Remember, planning is part of the functions of a good manager. This is important because it helps you manage your time wisely, especially during this time when most people are working from home. Be organized and you will be a good manager of time. Be disorganized and you will be a great damager of time. 

You can read an article I once wrote about "how you do anything is how you do everything" here. I have to say it is one of the most read articles on this blog.

Confidence and Trust in yourself

You will never be a good leader if you cannot trust yourself. A leader who does not trust himself or herself has no inspiration, and without inspiration, how will you face the challenges ahead? 

Secondly, if you can’t trust yourself it means you also lack confidence. If you are not confident in yourself don’t expect other people to be confident in you. People with no confident lack all the other elements I have mentioned above. Remember, when you exude confidence, other people will be attracted to your confidence. Be confident in yourself, your abilities, experience, decisions, vision, etc. 

Respect

Carlos Wallace, a motivational speaker and author said, “The public will either love you, or hate you; plain and simple. You determine if they respect you. That’s what matters. The rest is superficial.” 
 

In short, treat yourself with respect and the world will have no choice but to respect you. 

So how do you show YOU respect?

• Don’t lie – especially to yourself. Admit when you make mistakes. Face and confess your messes and clean them up. It takes someone very confident and comfortable in their own skin to do this.​

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• Be yourself - and stop comparing yourself with other people. By the way, behind the scenes, those people you are comparing yourself with might be more messed up than you think you are! For more on being yourself, read my article on Love here.

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• Don’t try to fit in – and why try to fit in when you were born to standout? After all, we were all born unique. Own your uniqueness and that is your strength.

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• NO! your way to freedom – learn to say no to things and activities that don’t excite you, or things that are not aligned with your goals/dreams/destiny. Say less Yesses and few NOs. This is the secret between successfulpeople and very successful people. Very successful people say more NOs.

My quota of words for the day is done, but I guess you got my point. You will never be able to manage and lead others if you cannot manage You. Learn to be a good manager of You Inc and the world will be your play ground.

To listen to my podcast on M for Manager, click here.

Be ignited. Be inspired. Be influenced. Become the best manager of YOU Inc, leading to the best version of yourself you can ever be.