Lessons for middle level managers from Tanzanian leader

I had a good laugh last week. It was inspired by President Jakaya Kikwete.

He described his job as “stressful and thankless”. Two terms are enough, he said at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars in Washington DC on Friday. The centre focuses on independent research, open dialogue and actionable ideas.

In a particularly candid moment, Mr Kikwete added: “After 10 years, you need to move on. It’s been 10 years since I came to this high profile office. I was very young, just 55. But what I can tell you about this job is that it is stressful and thankless.”

He was reflecting on his accomplishments and some of the key challenges he has faced and lessons learned during a decade at the helm.

First, I will start with the political science definition of government. We describe it as a football field where two teams are trying to score points against each other and the winner gets to hire friends.

Yet a good leader is the one who understands the needs of his people, and who has the unusual knack and flair for articulating their aspirations and clarifying complex issues into simple ones for them to understand and fall in line with.

Hence, leaders have to be persuasive and be gifted at swaying the views of their followers. Leadership is an art which does not follow particularly beaten tracks.

This is because a leader, like a chameleon, must be flexible to adapt fast to changes in the environment or else one perishes with one’s followers. A good leader is one who has analytical skills and who brings clout and influence to bear on issues, whether domestic or foreign.

I laughed because whatever President Kikwete said is what I always hear from middle level managers whenever I consult on change management.

You see, being in the middle is tough wherever it occurs! In a family, the oldest child often has more responsibility and power while the baby has everyone’s attention. The middle child is left with this undefined role lacking the power of the older sibling as well as the attention that the younger sibling gets from everyone.

In organisations it is no different. Senior executives have the power. They set the organisational policy and strategic direction. Frontline managers work directly with the customers and get the attention of the organisation in resource allocation decisions.

The middle manager is left with bridging the gap between the senior executives and the frontline managers. Often, it can be a thankless job particularly if there are problems with the organisational policy and strategic direction. In these situations, the middle manager often becomes the target of lower level frustration.

Middle managers have to make the executive agenda happen but they are often neglected in organisational development and training initiatives. Also, organisations frequently give more attention to the senior and frontline management levels.
Middle managers are often hit the hardest in times of layoffs. The lucky (or unlucky) middle managers who do happen to keep their jobs are left with more responsibilities, less resources, and a role that is more stressful and complex.

There are tonnes written on leadership and no one article can summarise what it takes to be a leader. Every group is different and has different leadership requirements.

Beware of being the micro manager who must control everything. Be wary also be being so slack as to be irresponsible or lazy. Almost universally, good leaders lead by example, solicit ideas from everybody, listen carefully before acting, invest some time thinking a few steps ahead, and most importantly, trust their members.

The most common thing I hear from outgoing department directors is, “I can’t believe how hard the people work around here.” Don’t wait for years to figure this out.

Come into the job knowing this, and then do what you can to remove the obstacles that keep these hardworking people from doing all the good they are capable of. Or just compare notes with President Kikwete.

Mr Waswa is a management and HR specialist and managing director of Outdoors Africa.

E-mail: [email protected].