How to lead/manage

BrotherVoodoo

I am good at organizing, formulating and strategy, but my problem is the whole human aspect of it all. I'm not really a extroverted smiles for everyone person, so I'm trying to figure out how to manage the psychological aspect of leadership.

Zeon

Unless youre a complete social retard, after you do it for a while, you'll get the hang of it. When I first started managing, everyone thought i was a prick. Now i've had people say im their favorite boss. It comes naturally. Its hard if youre very logical and a "do it this way because its best" kind of person, but honestly, its something you need to learn over time.

If you want books or something, 2 of the better books ive read are Peanut Butter and Jelly Managment, which relates managing employees to dealing with kids. Its got kind of a condescending tone, but a lot of the stuff really rings true if you actually sit there and think about it. The second would be Velvet Glove and Iron Fist, which is more like a Sun Tsu's Art of War for managers. I didnt like it as much since i dont like to treat my employees like soldiers or myself as a general, but there are some good ideas in there as well.

Icemopper

I think it sort of depends on what you might be leading. I led a youth group for a while, and at one event in particular my "leadership" was truly tested. It was the famous overnighter, and the main leaders stay up the entire night, so by morning, I was not in a leadership mode, but I forced myself to smile and be energetic, and that really helped get the job done.

You may be talking about leading a group of professionals, however, and again I have to say start with forcing the smiles, try to be as completely authentic as you can, and you'll get to where it comes more naturally, and more authentically.

Also, since leadership isn't all smiles and friends, be commanding and decisive. If there is a decision that needs to be made, weigh the options, make the decision, and be firm in it. If you sway in your decision, that could be viewed as un-leader-like or something.

The question you're asking is really quite multi-faceted, but I hope my answer helped one of those parts. Good luck!

Serpent

leadership and management are pretty different topics and also different skill sets.

For tips on management, check out the podcasts at www.manager-tools.com

devoir

More information required. What is the situation? Are you looking to be a leader/manager, or are you already one?

oldsak

Look like you know what you're doing. Be assertive, but not overbearing. Take responsibility.

I had more details written out, but I must have pressed the funky button on my computer. It basically boils down to the three points mentioned above. I can elaborate later if necessary.

Improvolone

How to Make Friends and Influence people is a wonderfull business/interpersonal communication book that covers what you're asking about.

EggyToast

Leading is about making decisions but also listening and processing information. Usually it's about speed -- if you can be decisive quickly, that counts for a lot, but being flexible and able to change your opinion if someone has a better idea is key. The real trick is the speed in understanding when someone else's idea is better.

If you're a group leader, or you step up to play that role (since often one isn't assigned in many groups, barring seniority), the objective is to meet the goal without dismissing ideas outright. Listen to what people say, see how that fits into the underlying goal, and then repeat it back with that placement. Stuff like "What you're saying sounds good, but I think that's more of a quality check at the end rather than a criteria for going forward. Is that right?"

Which leads into management, which is understanding what your goal is and expressing it effectively to the people who need to do the work. And listening to their concerns and molding it to fit it into the goal's objectives, if possible.

Yes, that's all very business-speak and general, but you asked a general question. If you want to do more of it, you need to throw yourself into a situation where you can test ideas out without coming across as an asshole or without a lot of risk. That may be at work, or even among family or friends. Among friends, this often comes up among parties with some sort of structure, such as a theme party or one with "events" like, I don't know, an apple bob.

If you're asking this because you feel stuck in a rut at your current job, one of the better ways to get a step ahead of your coworkers or other competition while learning more is to look into getting an MBA. Even a cheap one at a local community college will give you a lot of information and experience in working with groups and the kinds of subjects and material that leaders/managers need to use regularly.