Many executives are highly reluctant to share their knowledge with staff who report to them for fear that "the apprentice will beat the master" and around the corner is taking their job. Find out in this article what the dangers of this type of attitude are and what it is that will truly make you stay in your position (or even get promoted).
I have always said that a good leader (boss, manager, coordinator, director) has to surround himself with trained and intelligent people to achieve organizational goals according to the position he occupies, since he will not achieve it alone. A leader needs a work team and influence it so that the synergy is created that allows achieving results through high performance standards.
But I continually see bosses who refuse to share their knowledge, their "secrets", thereby preventing their staff from ever achieving high levels of performance. What are the consequences of this way of proceeding?
In my experience, I have been able to observe that this type of “strategy” to maintain power and control, in the long run, translates into:
- Difficulty in achieving results Higher workload for the boss because he does not delegate Delivery of tasks at the wrong time Decrease in staff morale and motivation Feeling among employees that the company does not offer opportunities for growth And, what is worse, low levels of commitment to the company leader (boss).
Paradoxically, far from accentuating his power, a leader with this type of attitude undermines it.
Do you want three recommendations that will not endanger your position and that will also make you have a strong ancestry among your work team? Well, here you go:
1. Make sure you keep digging into all the knowledge you need to master your position
If you are the head of a group of lawyers, you better know the laws very well; If you are head of a marketing area, keep up to date on the latest trends and strategies in this regard; If you're an administrative manager, do your research on the latest cost-cutting procedures.
In other words, always have one foot forward in the field of knowledge that is the essence of your work but do not stop sharing what you know with your team.
2. Focus on results
The owners of the companies and the directors adore those executives who demonstrate with results what they are capable of doing, those who add value to the organization for which they work.
And yet, if due to conditions beyond your control, the path is a bit difficult to achieve the ideal scenarios, it is enough to have the ability to, at least, reverse the trend and it is shown that you are capable of having some control over the circumstances and you are a person with determination.
3. Cultivate your leadership skills permanently
What talents of influence and achievement do you have? Follow them cultivating. What are your weak areas? Do not evade or ignore them, on the contrary, face them and develop them so that you have a robust, congruent, integral leadership.
Imagine yourself as an expert in your area, with a strong orientation towards results and with a great power of influence… you become a rock, a pillar… and even when you share with your team (or people outside of it) all your knowledge and the "secrets" that experience has given you, you will have a very strong position within the organization and the admiration and respect of those around you.
I encourage you to put these tips into practice. I want you to be a strong leader, with courage, with determination, an agent of change. This not only brings benefits for the company but also great personal satisfactions and the skills learned for work will help you to achieve what you want in personal terms.
