Can you make someone into a leader

I am starting to think the answer is no. As the oldest of 9 children I was literally born to lead so I'm having a difficult time deciding if I can teach my maintenance sup to be a true leader. He has been in this position for 6 years however he only had one employee under him who needs no direction what-so-ever (she's from that wonderful generation of people with strong work ethics, the 50's). We have now hired a Tech to help us complete more tasks in-house and it seems we are further behind than ever. The new tech had the ambition, but I feel he is floundering without direction. I have taken the sup aside to discuss this and to let him know that this is his chance to shine. If his tech succeeded so does he. I'm not seeing any changes. The issue is time management and direction. I see the tech spending a lot of time waiting for direction.
This is especially hard for me to watch because my tendency is to jump in and give directions. I have been really good about stepping back and giving him the chance to take the lead, but it's just not happening. More and more the tech is coming to me for direction, or I ask what he's working on now and he will say nothing so I assign tasks.
The tech seems to be doing a great job and knows much more about maintenance than we initially though. Mine is a seniors community for 62+ but the average age is 85. It takes a special kind of personality to deal with 200+ seniors, but he has the right attitude.
Am I just being too impatient?

No, Stephani, I think you are not being too impatient. I think you and your team should meet each week and outline what exactly is needing to be accomplished each day, assign those tasks daily and then check in at the end of the day to re-plan for the next day. It may require a lot of meetings to communicate the overall game plan, but eventually, I would think the supervisor would have to step up and take charge. I know I had this issue before on a small property and finally figured out the the lead tech was not leading because he feared he was going to be replaced. Is it possible your supervisor feels threatened in this way?

Hello Stephanie,

Mindy brings up some good points and I would like to add to it. I do not expect a response back to the questions as this is for you to consider.

First, do you have say quarterly performance counseling? This is a two way street as you sit your personnel down and go over with them where you think they are doing great and where you think they need to improve. Now if in the areas where they need to improve, can you map out a way if they say they have no idea how to.

Second, reflect back on how you acted before there was another person and now! Before was it where the maintenance lead was communicating with the other employee under him and maybe it was transparent to you that he was in fact providing directions for the day?

Third, what is your definition of a leader, sometimes we have to mentor our junior leaders. How do you handle it when he does something and it does not turnout like you wanted it to?

The one thing that I learned as a seasoned leader as it took a different set of leadership skills to lead a civilian work force than it did a military one, but there were still the basics which were the same.

What is your rapport with you maintenance lead? Do you talk and bond, to where he knows even when you are not there what is expected? Does he trust you and does he respect you?

Since I have over 40 years leading with 25 of those years being in the military we have this old saying, "No man is a leader until his appointment is ratified in the minds and hearts of their men".

But what Mindy was saying was to communicate, plan, and communicate again. To add upon this when you are communicating be sure it is open and not dictating. Draw upon his experience and present him a problem and give him time to come back with a solution and present the plan on how to solve whatever. Have him present his preventive maintenance plan and from a maintenance perspective what are the future needs of the property which may have an impact on your budget. Getting him involved in the leadership aspects and when he stumbles mentor him in a professional manner.

Thanks Mindy and Nate. Part of my frustration is that his tech doesn't respect him as a leader, but understands he's his boss. This afternoon I have become aware of situations where the Sup has misled the tech. That was tough because I needed to correct the situation without saying he lied. Several years ago I was having issues with the Sup being the KING of excuses. After a lot of time spent taking both formal and informal corrective action things got better. Now that he has the tech he's gone back to the same behavior. Yes I think he's threatened by the tech. I have asked him on several occasions about sending the tech to training to get certifications in HVAC and electrical. The Sup says he's not ready, however in conversations with other Sups they suggest I get him as much training as possible which is what I have always done in the past. If his current behavior continues he is going to have a very good reason for feeling threatened!
Mindy I tried the meeting route not daily but weekly. I feel if I’m meeting them everyday then I may as well just be the Sup myself. Even with the weekly meeting I’d end with thinking we’re all on the same page, but the next day it would change. For instance about a week after the tech started he came to me and asked what his daily routine should be. I spoke with is Sup and we all set down to plan out (as much as we can in this business) how the day should go. First thing is grounds, second work-orders from the previous night, etc. The next day I get in and have to pick up trash, asked the tech why and was told the Sup told him not to worry about it today he needed him to start a turn. Granted my community has very little trash to pick-up, but it MUST be done before we start our day.
I guess I’ve been spoiled because out of the 16 communities I have managed I’ve only ever had 3 Sups until now. In the past my guys including some of my techs have all gone with me whether I was just changing communities or changing companies’ altogether.
Nate- on a personal level we have a great relationship. Once we got over the issues in the beginning we have both been there to cover the others back. Yes I believe he respects me again up until recently he has for the most part met my expectations whether I’m here or not. He knows what I expect, that I have his back when he’s in the right, and I always recognize his achievements and share them with upper management. I guess that is why this is so surprising. Our company doesn’t do evaluations at all. Their philosophy is, address the situation good or bad when it happens. I don’t know that I totally agree with that as I would like to know where I need improvement.

Stephani, I absolutely do understand!!!! Lived this situation myself. The senior tech was a control-freak and this was because he was afraid someone would come along who would show him up; he was insecure. I remember leaving the property to go make a deposit and coming back to find the tech's keys on the desk and the senior tech looking sheepish saying, "I don't know what happened!" After that kept happening, I figured it out.

The problem for you may be that this supervisor does not really complain about being on-call 24/7, completes his work orders and all the Residents love him. Right? Yeah, but he doesn't play well with others though. It is really frustrating because in essence you do become the maintenance supervisor, too. So, then you have to decide how to make the team work.

You will have to assume the leadership role and it will happen when you bring the two into the office, sit them down, and point out that you need the team to work together. You will then assign duties and make it clear to both that the trash must be picked up EVERY day and then the weekly Game Plan must be met (turns completed, etc.) I assume the supervisor orders supplies and decided which turns are done when. Then dismiss the tech to go to work and have the supervisor remain. It would be best if you have a RPM or whoever your supervisor is, too, and then tell the lead guy what his "new" job responsibilies are. Present it to him as a step up, and with that comes the role of maintenance leader and trainer. Maybe he should receive a bonus or other reward, like an extra day off, a weekend off without the pager, etc. IF he completes the company's and your goals.

For some reason it works like this with guys: the more there are, the better they are able to work together as a team. When there are only two, there are problems. Thoughts?

Stephani,

Now I am not one to say do not listen to the leaders, but I find it helpful in more ways than one to document professional performance counseling. In doing so you communicate to the individual(s) where you stand and what you expect and at the same time you get feedback. Then you set how long you expect that this situation should no longer be an issue.

My junior leaders I was always very up front with them and let them know what I was thinking and what I expected. I was not a zero defect leader, but expected that when mistakes were made that we learned from them. I brought the leader in and let them know where they were standing with me. If things kept going as they did I let them know what I was going to do. Integrity is a big one and if you cannot trust your junior leader and you have to step in and always do their job then you have to ask yourself why do you need them? I always told me personnel you do not have to like your leader, but as long as what they are asking is legal and they are acting in the authority of their office, it was their duty to follow the instructions.

If I was going to have the two together I would first call them in on different times and inform them individually I was not happy with the lack of team work and that I was going to get them together and try to work out the problem with all of us in one area. Have the meeting where we would not be interrupted and try to get to the bottom of it.

What is my lane? What are you expected to do? Duties and responsabilities outlined that are clear! There are times when the waters are so bad that I have told a group it is you will all swim together or drown together.

Understand that I am writing based upon all the information that I have received and there are other factors which come into play such as personalities and if what we are communicating how is it being received.

But first and far most you cannot have a leader when there is an integrity problem as then there is no trust and it is a ticking time bomb. Trust has to be up and down the chain. Words do not accomplish the feat of trusting your leaders; actions do! Do not clobber the first time there is a mistake. Do it the second time! Hold firm the line, but it must be clear and achievable and the tools need to be there in order to get it done!

The other thing is if there is someone who is close to you that has plenty of experience and that you trust to sit down with them and brain storm what you are going through. At some point you will want to bring your immediate supervisor in on this and be prepared to show what you have done to correct the problem and what you are thinking about the future and get their feedback and buy in.

One last thought is I have had young people that were ambitious and did whatever they could to bring discredit upon their leader or create a feeling of doubt. So really also look at motives!

I think your first paragraph in your last blog really outlines a course of action that should be taken. I think the action you should take is summed up there. But, I always as a leader wanted to ensure that I had written documentation to show what all I had done to correct the issue, so if it came to a point where you had to let someone go, you had solid documentation.

I'm sure some people can be made into leaders, but not everyone. Even though it's important to be able to play well with others, it's a team effort. I would love it if everyone could be a team player, but wishing (and pleading and punishing...) wont make it so and I've come to accept that. Since no one on my team is perfect, we just try to play to each others strengths. My corporate office does annual performance reviews so I do my staff reviews annually also. Sometimes though, when there is a specific issue to bring up, we'll have meetings to discuss and hopefully resolve them.

Good Luck!

Being ex military myself; I would say NO you cannot make someone who does not WANT to be a leader become one... It is a trait that is built on a series of life experiences.

Military training and athletics enhance the life experiences.

Many leaders I have learned from have had a life that contained many leadership roles that can go as far back as childhood. I was one of them. I held leadership roles on both the school and club swim teams I was on, as well as the school water polo team; and many of the clubs I was involved with, including the Boy Scouts. These experiences served me well when I entered the service.

@ Nate: From one vet to another; thanks for your service.

Running into military veterans is always pleasing. Johnny and Nate, thanks for your service. I had 25 years, US Army, Field Artilley, retired in 2002 as Command Sergeant Major. Maybe the housing business attracts military veterans. However I DID NOT like my tour as a Billeting NCO at Fort Carson, CO. You would probably imagine how that job would go!!

Herb Spencer

HSpencer: I was also Field Artillery, I worked with Pershing Missiles at the very end. A few weeks after arriving at my unit in Germany, The INF treaty was signed and the process to eliminate an entire class of weapons began.

Hey Herb,

I always say the companies that hire seasoned military professionals will most always get more than their money's worth. I was in Class #38 would have been in #37 except I deployed to the Gulf War and they said as soon as the war was over I would go into the next class and they stuck with their word! 25 years, 16 jumping out of perfectly good airplanes and pounding the ground looking for trouble! I am sure Brent is saying OK enough of the war stories lets get back to housing and so that all is not lost I think there are many enlisted out there that would do well in housing!

Leaders are not born they are trained. Anyone can become one one but it is up to the individual to learn and grow into that role.

I disagree with the notion that leaders are trained and not born. A leader can learn to lead a team better, more efficiently, and understand his goals. But a true leader is someone who feels compelled to organize his team, take charge and inspire those he leads. You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink. I think this true for people who are thrust into the role of leader. That person may be in charge, but we all can name people who are in charge that sit and do nothing while their assistants do the work that make them look good. Those kind of "leaders" usually don't last long.

The military spends a lot of time on leadership and what it takes to be a leader. In the military academies and colleges there have been many papers written and studies done on past leaders throughout history. There were certain things which were looked at:

1. If being a leader means challenging the status quo, then you need youthful rebelliousness to stand up and be counted. This is a character trait you were born with or developed very early in life - it is not a learned skill set.

2. Leaders become leaders in one of three ways:
a. a crisis or event pushes them into leadership
b. Their personality leads them into it
c. They choose to be a leader. note: If they choose to be a leader, they also choose the depth of their training.

I have read pages on the subject while in the military and wrote pages on it. It is a very interesting topic, but to keep this short nature and nurture are the two key elements! Those who believe that leaders are born, when it was checked those individuals were nurtured in a way by their parents that gave them that extra.

This is a very short version for a very deep subject such as this one on leadership! We were given subjects to study and we had to group them as to what developed them. But the general thought by military leaders as well as well known scholars of today is that leaders are not born, just as artist are not born.

But at the end of the day not matter how you think, born or made; the questions is, are they an effective leader?

Great topic. I love all the great insights. My quick little addition would be to try and focus on what kind of potential leader an employee can be. Some are extroverts and some are introverts. Both have completely different styles and those that are being led will react completely differently. Once a team comes to understand what kind of leader they have then they will typically react more positively based on a better understanding. Love this topic and everyone's contributions.

I think leadership qualities are 'latent' and not necessarily obvious in all potential leaders. It can take a manager who sees potential and puts someone in a position where the skills become utilized and flourish, it can take circumstance (although those who know me know I do not believe in luck or chance) to put someone in a situation where he or she figures things out without outside input, or yes, it can take training to demonstrate what is required to be a successful leader. Bottom line, though, the qualities have to be innate and at least present at some level so one could say that leaders could be born and then made...

Unfortunately, my experience is people can either step up or they can't. After 6 years, if he is not able to add one person to his team and increase his proficiency then hey may not have it in him. What I have done in the past, only if the employee is a valuable team member, is I have taken control of the scheduling. I have also required the maintenance team members to fill out a log of work completed that day. It made it easier to make sure tons of time was not being wasted.

Hope it helps.

Having the maintenance team do a log of their work for each day seems like double work. If you hand them a printed work order, have them write in the start and stop times for each work order (it is okay to have multiple issues on the work order if they are for the same unit) completed. If an aspect of a work order is not completed; the reason for the incomplete request should be documented; the most common of which would be a part needs to be ordered. The person ordering the part should document when the part was ordered and when to expect it's arrival. When the part arrives; the original maintenance technician should return to complete the work order; again documenting his start and stop times.

I agree with Mindy! I believe leaders are born and people with large egos always want to be a manager. Most are unkind to their co workers and are certainly not leaders. I vote for born!

I retired from Property Management in March, 2010, and was asked back out of retirement in October, 2011, by my company. I was 66 when I retired and am now 67.
The night I got the call, I went to the complex and found the C and B bldg. sewers stopped, (20 Apts) and the manager no where to be found. An elderly woman in a unit had had no hot water for six (6) days. Another unit, the HVAC blower was squeeling and swarking, and the door bell in another had been improperly installed and was buzzing constantly. This was the first night and next day.
Since at that time I had no keys to the office or maintenance areas, I got my plumber down there and by midnight, we had the sewers flowing again. I scheduled the hot water heater for the next day, and began taking care of the rest that had been reported. The previous couple (managers) had cleaned out the stock, and even taken a washer and dryer I kept in the maintenance room. The washer and dryer were old, yet working good enough for washing towels and rags, etc. The cap stone was when I found my Grayco Pro Magnum paint sprayer had been left full of paint and was ruined. I even got madder when I later found my Dixon Zero Turn Mower (2009 model) had the left hand hydro drive ripped out of it.
To date I have been there, and some of the other properties, and find sheer negligence in employees. We are beginning to weed them out slowly.

The above was created by a complete NON-leader. You could never make him one in a 1000 years.
We have been trying to hire someone for my job since January of this year. I don't and the management company does not want to be burned again. If you know any leaders send them my way!

Tell me, Herb; that you have a property in the Sacramento area that needs a leader......

Sorry, we are not in CA. More the Southeast US. I know from reading your posts you would be an excellent leader for anything you desired to do. You would bring professionalism, a depth of housing knowledge and management skills with you anywhere you went. From my way of thinking, you would only need to validate your Concealed Carry Permit with our State.

I doubt this position would be your cuppa Tea though.

I appreciate the compliment Herb.. and you are right; the thought of needing to carry a concealed weapon and be fitted for body armor just to go to work does not tempt me. It MIGHT if I were in law enforcement; and I might have considered it about 20 years ago when I ended my military life.... but hindsight is 20/20.