Why Good Managers are Good Lovers - Short Version

8/7/2019 Why Good Managers are Good Lovers - Short Version

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-good-managers-are-good-lovers-short-version 1/3

Why Good Managers are Good Lovers

Frederic W. Widlak, Ph.D.

[MBA Commencement Address at Wyzsza Szkola Biznesu—National-Louis Universityin Nowy Sacz, Poland on March 8, 2008]

Today, I am here to tell you why good managers are good

lovers.

A few years ago, I presented a workshop to the asystents [junior

faculty members] here at Wyzsza Szkola Biznesu—National-Louis

University about improving their teaching. I began by trying toconvince them that good teachers were good lovers. How did I

generate this outrageous idea?

When I was thinking very intensely about the characteristics of a

good teacher, I found that I had to consider more than “content”

and “process.” Anyone who teaches should know the content—the

subject matter to be taught—and use an appropriate process—the

teaching method that works best for the students. But a teachingmachine or a computer can be programmed to do that. A good

teacher understands the purpose of the teaching—the goals of the

educational program, which are much broader than the individual

teacher’s objectives and are specified in terms of the students’

outcomes. But I think that there is an additional characteristic of

good teachers that goes beyond content, process, and purpose.

This additional characteristic is difficult to define in a single word,

so I will try to describe it. A good teacher can communicate to the

students a love for the subject matter, a love for teaching, a love

for learning, and a love for them. My assertion is that this

communication is simultaneously intellectual, emotional, and



spiritual. This results in changes in the way that students think,

feel, and are connected with the universe.

This reminded me of something I had read in Erich Fromm’s book,

The Art of Loving: “Mature love is union under the condition of

preserving one’s integrity, one’s individuality. Love is an activepower in man, a power which breaks through the walls which

separate man from his fellow men, which unites him with others;

love makes him overcome the sense of isolation and separateness,

yet permits him to be himself, to retain his integrity.” This

convinced me of the connection between teaching and loving.

In a job interview many years ago, I was asked to describe what a

good manager was like. After thinking a few seconds, I answeredthat a good manager was a good teacher. Just like a teacher, a

manager should be an excellent communicator, facilitator, and

evaluator. Both teachers and managers must be able to explain the

content and the process of the work to be done, to give

encouragement and incentives to the students or workers, to give

rewards for good work, to be patient with work that is not-so-good,

and to help the students or workers improve and advance in their

careers.

If good teachers are indeed good lovers, and if good managers are

good teachers, then it logically follows that good managers are

good lovers.

But the work of a manager is not exactly like that of a teacher.

What are some additional things to consider when you are a

manager? You should keep two general questions in mind: First

—Am I doing things right (that is, correctly)? And second—Am Idoing the right (that is, relevant) things?

The first question deals with administrative, operational issues

while the second deals with strategic, visionary issues. Warren

Bennis makes the distinction between transactional leadership

2



(Doing things right) and transformational leadership (Doing the

right thing).

Transactions versus Transformations -- What is the

difference?

The dictionary definition of a transaction is that it is a business

deal or negotiation. At the end of a transaction, each person has

some things added and other things subtracted.

The dictionary definition of a transformation is that it is a change

or alteration in form or function, esp. a radical one. At the end of a

transformation, each person involved is different from before, but

probably in different ways.

True leadership is transformational. Therefore the teaching of

leadership as a management subject is complicated, because the

end result for each student will necessarily be different. Except for

your names, all of your National-Louis University diplomas look

the same, but you are more than customers who have bought an

education. You have each changed in your own way.

It is clear that we expect teachers to be transformers. I believe that

we must also expect managers to be transformers.

Love is a transformational process, rather than a transactional

event. Managers need to incorporate transformational, process-

oriented loving into their work.

Just as good teachers are much more than “talking books”, good

managers are much more than “worker controllers.” Goodmanagers are good lovers. Be a good manager and a good

lover.

3

Documents

Why Good Managers are Good Lovers - Short Version