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The Search

ONCE there was a bright young man who was looking for a special kind of manager who could lead and manage in today’s changing world.

He wanted to find one who encouraged people to balance their work and their life, so that each became more meaningful and enjoyable.

He wanted to work for one and he wanted to become one.

His search had taken him over many years to the far corners of the world.

He had been in small towns and in the capitals of powerful nations.

He had spoken with many managers who were trying to deal with a rapidly changing world: executives and entrepreneurs, government administrators and military personnel, university presidents and foundation directors; with managers of shops and stores, of restaurants, banks, and hotels; with men and women—young and old.

He had gone into every kind of office, large and small, luxurious and sparse, with windows and without.

He was beginning to see the full spectrum of how people manage people.

But he wasn’t always pleased with what he saw.

He had seen many “tough” managers whose organizations seemed to win while the people working there lost.

Some thought they were good managers. Many thought otherwise.

As the young man sat in each of these “tough” people’s offices, he asked, “What kind of a manager would you say you are?” Their answers varied only slightly.

“I’m a bottom-line manager—I keep on top of the situation,” he was told. “Hard-nosed.” “Realistic.” “Profit-minded.” They said they had always managed that way and saw no reason to change.

He heard the pride in their voices and their interest in results.

The young man also met many “nice” managers whose people seemed to win while their organizations lost.

Some of the people who reported to them thought they were good managers.

Those to whom they reported had their doubts.

As the young man sat and listened to these “nice” people answer the same question, he heard: “I’m a participative manager.” “Supportive.” “Considerate.” “Humanistic.” They also said they had always managed that way and saw no reason to change.

He heard the pride in their voices and their interest in people.

But he was disturbed.

It was as though most managers in the world were still managing the way they had always done and were primarily interested either in results or in people.

Managers who were interested in results often seemed to be labeled “autocratic,” while the ones interested in people were often labeled “democratic.” The young man thought each of these types—the “tough” autocrat and the “nice” democrat—was only partially effective. It’s like being half a manager, he thought.

He returned home tired and discouraged.

He might have given up his search long ago, but he had one great advantage. He knew exactly what he was looking for.

In these changing times, he thought, the most effective managers manage themselves and the people they work with so that both the people and the organization profit from their presence.

The young man had looked everywhere for an effective manager but had found only a few. The few he did find would not share their secrets with him. He began to think maybe he would never find what he was looking for.

Then he began hearing marvelous stories about a special manager who lived, surprisingly, in a nearby town. He heard that people liked to work for this man and that they produced great results together.

He also heard that when people applied the manager’s principles to their personal lives, they got great results as well.

He wondered if the stories were really true and, if so, whether this person would be willing to share his secrets with him.

Curious, he phoned the assistant to this special manager to see if he might get an appointment. To his surprise, the assistant put him through to the manager immediately.

The young man asked when he might be able to meet with him, and the manager said, “Anytime this week is fine, except Wednesday morning. You pick the time.” The young man was puzzled. What kind of manager had that kind of time available? But he was fascinated as well, and went to see him.