top of page
Writer's pictureBernard Kates

Beware of Gurus

Updated: Mar 16, 2022


Management manuals, training courses and websites are full of fads and buzzwords that sound good, but the best approach in any given situation will always be the one that most effectively accomplishes your, and the team's, objective.


If you chop and change, flitting from fad to fad every time you take a new course or read a new management textbook, you'll just confuse your team and reduce your credibility as a leader. If you blindly follow your favourite guru come what may, you'll hamstring your team's ability to work creatively.


That's why I'm not setting myself up to tell you how you should* lead your people. I'm here to share some ideas and experiences with you, to give you some pointers toward things that have worked for me in the various roles and situations I've found myself in. What worked for me might not work for you; we're different people, with our own values, attributes and skills. So don't take as gospel what I, or any other leadership guru, might tell you. Take these ideas and think about them, see if you can apply them or adapt them to your own situation. Feel free to discard them if they don't work for you.


As a leader you will always honour your core values, but you will be flexible about how you execute them. You must understand that leadership and management techniques are not magic mantras but merely tools to be brought out and used at the right time.


"Should" is quite possibly the least helpful word in the English language. Don't allow yourself to be railroaded by an expert who tells you that you should do this or you ought to do that. Look at the situation, consider your options, listen to the suggestions and opinions of others, but then make your own decisions about how to proceed.

3 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page