What makes some managers more effective at bringing out their team’s potential? How can company culture evolve to support sustainable growth?
Steven Bartlett’s management insights from The Diary of a CEO reveal the importance of individualized coaching and cultivating the right organizational culture. He offers practical strategies for leading teams through different stages of business growth.
Keep reading to discover management principles that can upgrade your leadership approach and create a thriving workplace environment.
Steven Bartlett on Management
The success of your business rests in large part on your talented workers. But, how do you nurture these talents and unlock your team’s full potential? Here are Steven Bartlett’s management tips for coaching individual workers to do their best work and building a productive team culture.
Tip #1: Coach Every Individual Differently
Although the right culture can empower all your employees, it takes a more hands-on approach to maximize their individual potential. Bartlett states that every member of your team has unique personality quirks, motivations, and weaknesses. Thus, there’s no single coaching method that will inspire and motivate everyone in the same way. To be a great manager, you must know your team members at a deep, personal level and customize your management style to bring out their unique potential.
This kind of individualized management demands emotional intelligence more than anything else. Study what causes your team members to feel the way they do and discover ways to evoke positive, productive emotions.
For example, you may notice that one of your workers is remarkably efficient when given specific instructions, but they tend to get anxious when asked to engage in open-ended problem-solving. For this reason, you take extra time to break down complex projects into step-by-step tasks for them. This way, they feel confident that they’ll be able to do their work correctly and effectively.
| Individualized Coaching Is Just One Management Style In Primal Leadership, Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee agree that emotional intelligence is necessary to be an effective manager. However, they argue that focusing on individualized coaching is just one option among many effective management styles. For instance, a manager using the democratic style deeply involves their team members in the discussions that lead to major decisions. A manager using the commanding style provides strict directions in critical, high-stress situations. This style requires a high degree of empathy and emotional self-control to avoid intimidating team members. According to the authors of Primal Leadership, the best managers know how to shift into any of these management styles, and they use whichever one would be most effective in a given situation. For example, a project manager might use a commanding style to ensure that everyone does what’s necessary to meet a tight deadline. However, after noticing that one of their team members seems overwhelmed, they might shift to a coaching style that provides individualized guidance and support. |
Tip #2: Establish a Fanatical Culture, and Then Transition to a Supportive Culture
Bartlett argues that organizational culture—the collective habits and philosophy of your team—is crucial to business success, but the ideal culture should evolve with your company’s growth stage.
In the startup phase, foster an almost cult-like environment where your core team is fanatically devoted to the company’s mission. Position yourself as a visionary leader and unite employees around the goal of changing the world. This intense focus helps build initial momentum.
However, this fervent culture isn’t sustainable long-term. As your company matures, shift toward a culture that balances high performance with employee well-being. Maintain motivation by granting autonomy and managing stress while still pursuing excellence.
To shape your desired culture, Bartlett recommends three key actions:
- Embed core values into daily operations. For example, a startup focusing on rapid innovation might mandate standing meetings for efficiency and reward daily “Momentum Makers” who drive swift progress.
- Promote employees who exemplify your desired culture to management positions, allowing them to influence others positively.
- Remove employees who consistently resist cultural alignment, as negative attitudes can spread and hinder team potential.
