Does Your Management Style Define You as a THERMOMETER ... or as a THERMOSTAT?

I have long admired the work of playwright George Bernard Shaw. Among his many works is a quote that has informed much of how I perceive personal and professional effectiveness: "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends upon the unreasonable man."

Now, before you interpret this in a different way than I'm intending, let me make sure you understand what I mean by "unreasonable."

The context that makes this quote so compelling are those managers and leaders who are "unreasonable" enough to believe they can evoke change; inspire people beyond status quo; and, ultimately, make a difference in the "world" around them. Martin Luther King, Jr. speaks to this beautifully, "Be a thermostat not a thermometer."

A thermometer simply reflects the temperature in the room. There is no real working intelligence in a thermometer—it basically has one purpose and that's to reflect the temperature around it. A thermometer has no way to determine 'why' the temperature is increasing or decreasing—or to do anything about it.

A thermostat, on the other hand, is what regulates the room environment. When the temperature rises above the target, the thermostat notifies the a/c to turn on; when the temperature drops below the target, the thermostat notifies the heater to turn on. In essence, the thermostat has the intelligence to monitor the environment and make decisions on what needs to be done to correct a situation.

So, what does this have to do with managing and leading people?

The uncomfortable truth is it's easy to tell the temperature; anyone can do it; anyone can look at a thermometer and realize there's a problem. But it takes a thermostat to do something about it—to build morale when it's needed; to change expectations when quality or output is low; to moderate workloads when stress is high; to understand that a solution to a problem doesn't make any difference unless there's a plan of action towards prevention in the future; to create a sense of urgency when the situation requires it. Being a thermometer—merely reflecting what's going on—is not effective leadership.

By definition, managers and leaders are the ones who set the pace—it is our responsibility to set the tone and set the expectations. In essence, you set the 'temperature' for your team. If you're leading a team and you're not happy with the outcomes or results you're getting, you need to ask yourself if you are merely reflecting what's going on (a THERMOMETER) or are you firmly establishing a culture of performance and appreciation (a THERMOSTAT)?

High Value Activity (HVA) Action Steps

The leader's job is to build the culture by setting the temperature and not just reflecting what others are doing. As leaders, we have to be the thermostat. This week (starting today), include these HVAs to help you set the optimal 'temperature' for your team:

• Don't Focus on Where You Are: A thermostat-leader doesn't focus on where his/her team is currently; instead, the focus shifts to where they ought to be and, equally important, how to get them there. Thermostat-leaders act towards a vision. They set the future-focused expectations and then provide the encouragement and the support to ensure their respective teams see the target(s) as attainable.
• Problems? Mistakes? No. EVERYTHING is Learning: Thermostat-leaders ask "What did we learn from this? In light of this learning, what will need to change [or be done different] to overcome this obstacle in the future?" They're not bogged down by failure, but look at it as a stepping stone to success. They refuse to accept "This won't work" or "We've tried that before." Under their leadership, people step out of their comfort zone and broaden their horizons. This future-focused approach means that employees learn to take ownership of problems because mistakes made are not viewed through the lens of affixing blame but, instead, about expanding the learning. This approach also helps to build transparency because no one feels the need to make excuses or hide a mistake.
• No Whining: Thermostat-leaders do not complain about problems; they're (painfully) aware that if they whine or complain or blame things on circumstances, others will follow suit. They lead by example making accountability and ownership a big part of their managerial culture. Thermostat-leaders also do what's necessary ... even if it's not popular. If a decision is right (and just), but may not please everyone, they still act on it. Paradoxically, this is one of the primary reasons thermostat-leaders are respected—level-headed decision making.
• Leaders Develop More Leaders ... Not More Followers: Thermostat-leaders understand that they can't take the lead in every single occasion; they understand it's important for people to be exposed to leadership growth. Thermostat-leaders make succession a priority whether that succession is hierarchical (vertical growth) or more lateral (breadth growth).