Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/330408
44 | ZZZFHGPDJFRP | Construction Equipment Distribution | June 2014 A Closer Look Nearly every book you read about leadership will distill it down to a handful of key points they tell you to master. Those same books will classify and breakdown the five styles of management. They will probably test you to identify your management style and offer suggestions on how to maximize your skill set to be a more effective manager. Ultimately, you get into a debate over top-down management or bottom-up management and which one is the best driver of success. These book lessons, whether they are from a college class, a seminar, or personal reading are only as good as the first crisis you must face as a leader. Many good leaders have failed at jobs not because of incompetence or ignorance, but because they cling to a leadership philosophy that is too rigid. They think they have to be this type of leader or operate in this manner, and that is the only way to get the job done. But the old buzzwords – strong- willed, hard-nosed, tough – have given way to the new methods of leadership that involve flexibility, adaptability and a big-picture world view. To under- stand the new leadership order, you have to understand and differentiate between appointed leaders and anointed leaders. True leadership – consistent, solid leadership – comes from communi- cation, humility, relationships and empowerment. Leaders are not born, they are developed. Often these leaders will not have the title, the prestige or the compensation plan of those who are appointed as leaders. These are the anointed leaders. These are the employees upon whom the rest of the building relies to make things happen day in and day out. A truly exceptional leader will grow other leaders and not feel threatened by their growth; rather they are comfortable existing in a symbiotic relationship that will create advancement, opportunity, and success for all parties involved, as well as the company itself. Too many times in my career I have seen the appointed leadership undercut the anointed leadership. (PEUDFLQJ¶8QRIÀFLDO·/HDGHUV If you go into any business today and observe their operations without being told who is in charge or who the boss is, you would, within a matter hours, be able to identify who the real leaders of the company are, regard- less of their job titles. The power in a department may not reside in the Rebuilding An AED member dealership breaks down an old management model in the product support departments and ends up moving toward total business transformation. BY TROY OTTMER, Mitchell Ivey and Jason Brod contributed to this article. Top-Down and Bottom-Up: