Masters in Management

Scholars in political science consider Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) as one of the top three American presidents ever; the other two being Lincoln and Washington. As per a Gallup poll, FDR is also the sixth-most admired 20th century icon by Americans. He led America through a turbulent phase in world history during the Second World War; initiated an era of Government social programs; shepherded America through the Great Depression and prevented political crises during the phase. Not for nothing did Roosevelt win four successive U.S presidencies and by the end of these he had made America a leading player on the world stage.

If the guy succeeded in managing a nation for so long, he must’ve done a few things right. Here are 10 tips for the students of the art and science of management so that they too can aspire to manage situations like how FDR did.

1. Believe in the capabilities of the people around you. You need to have faith in the goodness of people that work for you. This of course necessitates a keen eye for people that can be left alone to do their job without micromanagement. The first step for success in any project is having a core team that can make things happen.

2. Humility, perhaps, is the biggest quality that a great manager can have. Use accolades as benchmarks to set the bar higher. History is replete with examples of great industry managers that were unassuming. These guys worked with the people and not above them. This is the key to enabling and empowering people around you; once this is achieved you can use your energies to manage issues instead of managing people.

3. The ability to read people is a prized skill that no management institute can really teach you. From delineating tasks to motivating an individual, if you know what makes a guy tick, you can get the best out of him. Tap into a person’s self-motivation and inner beliefs and get these aligned to the job at hand. You do this and you will hardly ever have to resort to authority.

4. Self-discipline and hard work are old-fashioned virtues and FDR had them in abundance. He was the guy who lifted himself from a wheelchair to lift the nation from its knees. And he did that with old fashioned grit and effort. It’s fashionable to talk about working smart but the truth is that there is only so much smart work you can do, there is no escaping elbow grease if you want to succeed.

5. As they say – common sense is not so common. Great managers have it. Unfortunately it’s one of those things that you are born with. If you have it, then great. You can pare down an issue to its simplest level, separate the wheat from the chaff, and act decisively. At the same time you need to have the capability and humility (there we go again) to recognize this rare trait in people around you and make use of it.

6. You can only manage others if you can manage yourself. As a manager you need to set the standards unless of course you’re a dictator. Great managers command respect, they do not demand it. They get it because they are often the first in office and last to leave; they manage their time; are open to constructive criticism; are inclusive in their vision; and very importantly, they know their limitations.

7. Greatness does not come to cowards and FDR certainly wasn’t one. If you wish to manage and succeed like the great statesman then do not back away from a fight over an issue you believe in. Often there will be no option but to stake your reputation – for a project, for your subordinates, for the company, for getting things done. You may not even be able to pick your own battles but you have to wade in to set an example.

8. Have prescience. Use the information you hear, gather, and infer to protect and further your organization’s interests. At the same time, when you plan and move ahead of the curve you should still have the flexibility to steer clear of losing situations. Politicians cannot survive without flexibility and neither can managers.

9. Whatever a manager does, indeed whatever everybody does stems from a vision. Great managers have vision, which forces forethought, which leads to a policy, which is then planned upon and finally executed. The key is having a vision. Just as every institution is the lengthened shadow of an individual, so is every great manager is an embodiment of his vision.

10. Managers need perspective. If they can remember at all times that the sum of their efforts has to coalesce into a single objective then it will help them all round. It gives them a perspective and a holistic view in managing different departments with apparently clashing objectives – both within and without the company. Not to mention that it helps in effective time management.