Years ago, I met a man named Ed who sat at an old field desk at the back of the supply room. Whenever I needed something from the supply room Ed was always there and ready to assist. He would happily retrieve whatever I needed while engaging me in conversation about my role, my background, where my career might take me, and I came to realize that there was a lot more to Ed than just managing supplies. I asked my manager about him and was told his story.
Ed’s Story
When Ed joined the company, all of the publications were created on manual typewriters and transitioned via hard copy or copper plates from the writers to the editors, to the typesetters, and ultimately to the huge offset printers that were now collecting dust at the back of the building. Ed started as a writer, but his knowledge, skills, and leadership abilities allowed him to advance into successively higher management roles, ultimately becoming the Department Director.
Each promotion took Ed one step further away from the day-to-day activities where technology enhancements were changing the documentation development and production processes that were the core of Ed’s domain. Eventually, the technology had changed so much that Ed’s contributions as a leader were weakened and he was asked to step aside.
I am sure there were lots of factors that led to the decision to affect a change in leadership, but Ed’s failure to keep up with the technological advancements that affected his business made it easy for others to promote the change.
Lessons Learned
Leading technical teams does not mean that I have to be as technically skilled as my team members. What is required is that I stay informed to the degree that I understand the challenges before them and the decisions that I must make to break the barriers to their success.
It is easy to become isolated from the day-to-day operations, but to be successful leaders we must keep up with the changes that affect our ability to provide guidance and make decisions. We need to take advantage of all the traditional information channels, i.e. meetings, classes, and reading print and web articles, all of which help to keep us apprised. Another method of staying current is tapping into the knowledge within the teams we lead.
I frequently invite members of my team to lunch. I pay for lunch, they answer my questions and share information that they think I need to know. I learn what I need to know about the technology, but more importantly how it is impacting them their ability to perform. A fringe benefit is the Esprit de Corps that comes from the time I spend with them.
As leaders, our continued success depends on our ability to make positive contributions. For me, Ed served as an example of what can happen if we allow ourselves to lose sight of the details. He became my motivation to be a perpetual student and for that I owe him my thanks.
At least Ed was allowed to retain a position in the organization. Many groups are not so kind when the inevitable winnowing occurs toward the top of the organizational triangle. I have lost more than one leader to that process, only to gain a manager.
Unfortunately, the world we live in today does not afford most companies the ability to be that generous. The situation with Ed occurred in 1978 and it was an organization that was staffed with many people of military backgrounds lending to an environment of support. It would be very rare indeed for such an environment to exist today. Cheers, Gordon
I love that story – it’s so true. We become so far removed we really, as leaders, have to let our curiosity guide us to always be learning, and be keeping in touch with our teams. Great article – Thanks!
Hi Gary,
It is way to easy to allow ourselves to become removed the daily operations. We must make the effort not to allow that to happen. I am glad to know that Ed’s story struck a chord. Cheers, Gordon