Friendship Leadership Intro.

Hurting leader looks for less pain

Does your leadership hurt?  Could it be that your main leadership style is the thing causing much of the pain?  That is idea behind Friendship Management Theory.

Friendship Management is a core style the majority of my leaders find themselves using.  The problem, though, is that Friendship Management is the most emotionally painful style of leadership.  It depends on likability, influence through winning people over to our “side,” and care.  Friendship managers talk about being family, friends, and mutual care.  All of these are, of course, important for a great work place and good leaders have a lot of this.  However, too many of my clients have over used the style to their detriment.  I did.

In every organization I have lead, I depended on the indirect influence of Friendship Management.  When people did their own thing or the board decided to change direction, I would feel irrationally betrayed.  It took me years to realize that my feelings of betrayal and frustration of unreturned sacrifice were born from trying harder and harder to be a great friend and so move people and the organization where I thought it should go.

Are you a Friendship Leader/Manager?

You can find out with this simple survey:  https://jeffkholmes.typeform.com/to/wUzti9gy

Hey, Stuff That Works Community: Let’s be friendly but not just Friendship Leaders/Managers.