Are you making a difference or just making money?

by Dave Anderson

In one of my management workshops, I have attendees fill out a “Most Influential Person” survey. In this exercise they are asked to list the person who most influenced their lives and what it was this person did that made such an impact.

Many former bosses, coaches, teachers, friends and current supervisors show up on this list. In class after class, the answers have a have common denominator: The people with the greatest influence and impact on us aren’t those who are easy on us, who let us slack, who turn their heads and pretend like we were performing when we aren’t. These influential people stretched them, held them accountable, saw the best in them and wouldn’t settle for less. 

The bottom line? Most influential people in our lives are the people who teach us, model solid character and take us farther than we thought we could go.

Next, I ask the class if I the people they managed during their career were to fill out the same “Most Influential Person” survey, if any of their former, or current subordinates would put them on their lists.

Are you maintaining your people? Are you stretching them? Or, are you just making money instead of bringing out their best?

The room often gets quiet when I ask these questions. Then I ask them if they continued their present management style, would these same people put them on their lists five years from now?

As leaders, it’s important we end up on those lists. A leader’s job is to develop, nudge and cajole people toward their potential. Quite frankly, maintainers in management today are easy to find, and cheap to keep. They impact no one. They add value to nothing. They don’t lead; they preside and abandon their position as a leader. One of the greatest betrayals of leadership is to thwart the potential of those in your charge.

So, how about you? Who would put you on the “Most Influential Person” list? Are you satisfied by simple financial success, or motivated by significance? Are you driven by your ego, or driven by a calling? The true measure of your leadership will not be how far you go and how much you get. Rather, it will be how many people you bring along with you. After all, if you’re just in it for yourself, you’re in a mighty small business.

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