Managers Who Make a Difference

by T.V. Rao

What qualities do you need to be a successful manager, and how can you develop the qualities you already possess? Managers Who Make a Difference examines how managers’ perceptions about themselves shape their behaviour at work, and studies the ways in which people can translate their ambition, sense of purpose, perseverance, confidence, and resourcefulness into successful management. How can you train yourself to spot competences in others and build on them to create an effective team? How do you achieve the right balance between adherence to existing systems, and creative or experimental problem-solving? And do you have the people skills—the ability to network extensively and build trust-based relationships—required to be a leader? Richly illustrated with anecdotes and experiences of well-known managers, and with a broad array of tips and self-assessment tools to sharpen your management skills, this book is a must read for all practising and aspiring managers. The IIM Ahmedabad Business Books bring key issues in management and business to a general audience. With a wealth of information and illustrations from contemporary Indian businesses, these non-academic and user-friendly books from the faculty of IIM Ahmedabad are essential corporate reading.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

T. Venkateswara Rao

Reviews

[Prashant Deshmukh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dear Reader,
I have completed reading the book *MANAGERS WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE* ( Sharpening your management skills) by T.V Rao *IIM Ahmedabad business books*

*Lessons Learnt:*

1. *Types of Managers:*
a) *Doers:* These are managers who get things done.though they are not extraordinary, they are necessary in the workplace.they do routine jobs.they take life as it comes.they may not have ambitions, but they work hard enough to sustain their jobs and progress at a normal rate in the organization. Without them the company may not be able to run.
However, if they leave, another manager will fi ll their position.
b) *Achievers:* These managers do more than what they are required to.
Many of them are outstanding. Achievers are smart managers and they work hard and get things done fast.they are noticed in the corporation and considered as assets.they have career ambitions but do not have a mission or purpose in life beyond that.they are willing to move to any company that pays them a higher salary or uses their competencies better.
c) *Visionaries or entrepreneurs:* Visionaries are leaders.they are restless, creative, and they think big.they have long-term goals.they want to make an impact on the organization and are largely driven by creation of wealth for themselves and others around them.thus, they make a lasting mark on society.these managers are found in various fi elds— government, social services, industry, trade, and commerce.they are often entreprenuers and empire builders. Personal wealth is often their distinguishing trait. Deepak Parekh, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Narayana Murthy, Kiran Mazumdar- Shaw, Venu Srinivasan, Anil Khandelwal, Shiv Nadar, Azim Premji, Sunil Mittal, Vijay Mallya, A.M. Naik, Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, and many IIM graduates like Sharath Babu all fit into this group.
d) *Missionaries:* these managers are mission driven.their goals are not personal but more social and community related.they are highly driven by their goals, and there is an element of sacrifice involved in what they do. Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Dr Verghese Kurien, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Ila Bhatt, Kiran Bedi, and Vikram Sarabhai are all examples of missionaries.

2. You are the master of your thought, the molder of your character the maker and shaker of your condition, environment and destiny. Man is buffeted by circumstances as long as he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions. But when he realises that he is a creative power and that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being out of which circumstances grow, he then becomes the rightful master of himself.
*James Allen, As a Man Thinketh*

3. If you do not continuously collect business-related information and keep making new strategies and business plans to exploit opportunities your corporation will be left behind.this role, therefore, is critical for the survival of an organization in a competitive world.

4. *Team work and Team Building:* Effective Managers are those who can exercise initiative and leadership independently, and can operate as colleagues or associates rather than submissive followers. Moreover, they are adept at the art of team building—selecting the right people with the right skills, positioning them so that they can make the greatest contribution, and fostering their sense of mutual responsibility for achieving the organization’s mission and vision.the careful allocation of responsibilities within a team— factoring in members’ strengths and weaknesses—is a critical managerial function and decides the efficiency of outcomes.
As Narayana Murthy points out, ‘A strong team brings together a set of complementary skills, expertise and experience. It is essential that the team operates on a common value system and maintains the dignity and respect of every individual in every transaction.’ Strong and cohesive teams are the most important development tools an organization could have.
A sense of efficacy is the feeling of inner worth and effectiveness that the individual always carries with him. Such people take more initiative, approach situations with conf i dence and optimism, and therefore are likely to succeed better than others.

5. *Action goal orientation:* People who are driven by goals are often very active.this is because having a goal makes us focused. It allows us to use our competencies and talents in more directed ways, reduces wastage of time and gives meaning to life. Goals may be of any kind.they could be organization related, team related, friends and family related, societal, competency building, service goals, etc. Goals are either long or short term. Long-term goals may include becoming a CEO of a company, changing the values and culture of an organization, reforming society, getting rich, serving the nation, and the like, while short-term goals refer more to the immediate circumstances of a person—passing an examination or doing better than the previous year, overtaking someone else, getting a decent job.

6. *FROM TRANSACTIONAL TO TRANSFORMATIONAL—WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A GLOBAL LEADER:*
#Character (including integrity—or coherence between thought, word, and deeds—and commitment) #Vision and global thinking (think big, entrepreneurial thinking)
#Value driven (have a sense of purpose, high ethical values, respect for humanity and society, etc.)
#Initiative and proactivity #High energy and activity level
# Continuous learning from various sources
#Ability to develop juniors and build leadership competencies across the organization or department (investing in juniors, building others as leaders, coaching) #Unconventionality and openness to others’ ideas #Risk taking and encouraging risks #Creativity.they are creative problem solvers and they encourage creativity and innovation
#Persistence, not giving up Possess a teachable point of view (self-reflection, review and learning from mistakes, and learning from experience)
#Openness to change and proactively managing change (change management skills) #High degree of self-awareness and focus on self-renewal (not shy of but actively seeks feedback) #Result oriented and the ability to deliver results #Ability to empower, reward, and recognize others continuously
#Has a sense of priority and purpose (good time management, respect for others’ time and talent) #Integrating ability (see relationship between present and future, small elements and the whole, time perspective)
#Knows when to leave (succession planning and ability to delegate) #Bounces back from mistakes
#Cultural sensitivity and ability to seek and manage diversity
#Communication skills #Social skills and getting the desirable response Interpersonal skills and teamwork coming out of respect for others and free from biases (empathy or awareness of others’ feelings, needs, and concerns)
#Strategic thinking (analytical skills, positioning, and repositioning).

7. *INTERPERSONAL ENGAGEMENT:* Interpersonal engagement is the extent to which a manager can get an employee engaged in doing what is mutually beneficial, or the extent to which the manager can get the other person committed to do what they want and feel it is being done for the junoir’s own self.the higher our interpersonal skills, the stronger our interpersonal engagement with our colleagues.
*Thank You*

[NA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its a good book to have as a text book to enhance managerial skills.

[Ashok Sahu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very crisp and point to point advice with examples. Makes very interesting to read and keep your attention concentrated always. Comes with lot of Indian basic examples. A nice read....enjoyed....

[Anurag Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little things in management that you should be aware of, good anecdotes make it a quick read.

[Nishit Ranjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful read

The book helped me in assessing my own work. The book reaches a lot of material style with ample use cases, what works and what doesn't work.

[Manish]

Good for Self Improvement and understanding work dynamics