Recently, Phil Le-Brun, AWS Strategist and Evangelist, published a article in which it urges managers to rethink their role in business leadership. It provokes reflection on how technical advancement needs to be accompanied by a new mindset.
Here at Flexa Cloud, we strongly agree with this executive's provocation and, based on what he proposed, we decided to reflect here as well.
Read on to see the points brought up by Le-Brun!
“Value Gap”: It’s Time to Rethink Technology Use
Le-Brun begins his dissertation talking about how the implementation of new technologies does not always guarantee an increase in value for companies.
“Blame others if need be, whether new companies or global events. In many cases, though, the problem is internal organizational resistance from expanding maintenance activities, bureaucracy, silos, and organizational complexity,” he says.
For the executive, the challenge is to prevent adherence to the instrumental technical apparatus from making business management complex. In other words, technology must come to simplify things, generate satisfaction for users and help them not only do more: to do better!
Too many “caciques”: it is necessary to reorganize the managements
Another very delicate point raised by Phil Le-Brun is that the technological framework being used without criticality has made companies increase their number of managers.
He points out the issue of outsourcing, which is increasing across the globe. For her, about 20% of the workforce ends up becoming outsourced leaders.
“Managers can play a role in connecting strategy to execution, oiling the wheels of communication and coaching teams. In many organizations, however, they dilute accountability and agility by being overly prescriptive and weakening teams and reinforcing existing silos. But let's be clear: this is not an employee issue, it's an organizational issue."
Possible solutions for effective business leadership
Le-Brun ends by pointing out some possible solutions to be adopted by organizations (for the two critical points raised):
- Managers as “master artisans”: they must lead their followers to use technology as a means, not an end; and they will achieve this more successfully if they lead by example;
- Leaders as “process owners”: in addition to being “product owners”, they must take ownership of the processes, driving improvements and answering for them;
- Managers as Coaches:
“Instead of micromanaging, coaches leverage their experience and ongoing learning to help teams develop and solve problems. They provide professional guidance, feedback and training. They focus on behavioral coaching more than task management, fostering an environment where everyone contributes and brings their whole selves to work.” — Phil Le-Brun, AWS.
- Managers as “vanguard” of change: overcoming the inertia that the excess of technological tools can bring (commodity) is a challenge for today's managers. They must drive really substantial change, starting with moving bureaucracy out of the way of agility.
In short, for Phil Le-Brun, after the enchantment with the countless possibilities brought by technology is over, it's time for business leadership to resume its philosophical sense. Return to generating inspiration and opening paths for more pleasurable operations, processes and innovations and oriented to the sustainable development of the business.
What did you think of this reflection? How is your business leadership? Leave your comment!
