If an employee does not master his/her tasks, then it is the manager’s failure. The
manager should maintain communication with employees to ensure success.
The manager is obligated to ensure that those in responsible positions at his or her
company succeed.
The manager’s most important decisions are personnel decisions. The effectiveness
and efficiency of the company depend on selecting the right staff.
New or less experienced employees should not be left unsupervised when working
on important tasks; lack of proper supervision is an unnecessary risk. If the manage-
ment deems the less experienced employee suitable for the task, supervision and com-
munication are essential and should not be ignored.
Drucker states, “Personnel decisions and issues always draw a great deal of
attention and focus. If managed correctly, this attention and focus can be used as an
effective evaluation tool.” A successful, confident management role model who
possesses leadership, communication and management skills will be an example for
other employees to emulate in order to achieve success in the company. It is important
that this role model is aware of his/her impact on other employees and that he/she is
diligent in correctly following company policies. Occasionally, breakdowns in com-
munication and leadership will occur. It is imperative that the leader re-evaluates the
situation, using the breakdown as a learning tool. If the outcome or desired outcome
of the situation needs adjusting, the management will implement change. In order to
bridge the gap between levels of management and employees, the leader must uphold
a position of leadership and maintain communications to bring all employees together
to solve the problem. This type of leadership style empowers each employee and
he/she feels important and valued in the company.
2.1.1.4 The Internal Drive
In the “management by objectives” approach put forward by Drucker, “the self-
check system is possibly the most important tool of goal-directed management.”
The self-check tool of leaders and employees leads to increased motivation, pro-
ductivity and effectiveness because it creates the desire to perform best instead of
just being able to handle things. The leader has to not only know the goals but also
be able to evaluate his or her own work by considering these goals.
Drucker cites the example of General Electric, where travelling auditors regu-
larly perform overall examinations for all branches of the corporation. The reports
are documented and sent not to the headquarters but to the local managers – both
so that the information can be used for self-check, and to demonstrate that the top
management trusts the staff. The widespread reporting practice in some German
companies proves that there is also another approach – and unfortunately, one often
used without much success.
According to Drucker the trouble starts when managers begin to dictate their
own behavior towards employees using a textbook. “In fact, anyone who is familiar
with modern corporate life has observed situations in which a manager, in trying to
2.1 The Craft of Leadership 23