johnmaconline

A phrase of the past. A remnant of the compliance workforce of the industrial machine.

It won’t cut it in the new work paradigm.

In the paradigm of significance, your work is about impact. It demands more engagement, initiative, and adaptability. It’s about owning the outcome and the direction, not just completing tasks.

“Just doing my job” was acceptable when work was rigid, segmented. The assembly line model. One task, one worker. No overlap, no questioning. Top-down, org chart leadership.

That model is obsolete. Today’s work environment is fluid, interconnected.
Let the machines be the machines. We need human thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators. People who want to see the bigger picture. Who understand that their job isn’t just to do. It’s to improve, innovate, inspire.

“Just doing my job” isn’t leadership. It’s hiding. Dodging accountability. In today’s work, everyone’s a leader. Everyone’s a follower. We lead, we follow, we contribute beyond our job description.

“Just doing my job” kills creativity. Stifles innovation. Stunts growth. We need creativity to thrive. To keep ahead. To adapt in an ever-changing market.

So ditch the “just doing my job” mindset. Embrace the new paradigm. Engage, innovate, lead. Be more than your job. Be a part of the mission. Be the difference.

Today, that’s doing your job.

The industrial machine valued productivity as the end goal.

Productivity helped everyone. Cars became more affordable. As did food, clothing, TVs, toilet paper, and information. Ford, Carnegie, Bezos, Gates, and the other industrial leaders evolved and then led the charge.

Get more done faster and cheaper.

Human workers were every bit the machine. Each stood in their spot. Each had their job. Each complied. Each generation went faster than the previous.

But productivity as the end goal of work has had its day. The new paradigm values significance.

The leaders of tomorrow will evolve and lead the charge.

Leadership is about followership.

Can you, as a leader, enroll the team. Will they sign up? Will the follow? Will you know when to follow?

The industrial machine sought the loudest voice to lead. It favored the top name, the heftiest paycheck. Yet, today’s work era doesn’t need that. Modern leaders know how to cultivate followership.

Each team member both leads and follows, regardless of the title. The roles dance. One may lead, others follow, then smoothly, roles switch. This interchange nurtures an adaptable, resilient team, ready for any challenge. Many voices coming together as one.

It implies a proactive stance, courage to question ideas, and readiness to collaborate. Followership isn’t subservience, it’s partnership.

This shift from industrial machine leadership to a blend of leadership and followership is the path forward. A leader who can enroll the followers and actively switch to a follower themselves boosts team cohesion, sparks creativity, and engages work that matters.

I told you to throw out the org chart because leadership in the new work paradigm doesn’t need or conform to the org chart. Leave that to the industrial machine. 

But also…

True leadership, the kind that resonates beyond the titles, is timeless. At its core, true leadership was never defined by the position one occupies. Instead, it’s characterized by the ability to influence and inspire others, cultivate growth, and steer the collective toward shared goals. This definition holds, irrespective of changes in the work paradigm.

A leader navigates and captains through the storms of change. The leader reads the room. Sometimes a leader may feel conflicted, but the situation calls for conviction. Sometimes they may feel certain, but the situation calls for consensus.

In the industrial machine version of leadership, you might get lucky. The names on the org chart may intersect with the true leaders. The name at the peak might be the destined one. History has given us glimpses of such alignments. Yet, it has also shown us glaring disparities.

That underlying truth remains constant, but the evolved work paradigm now demands—not merely uncovers—the necessity of true leadership.

Burn the org chart.

The industrial machine loves the org chart version of leadership. In fact, it requires it. 

The org chart used to lay out the structure of leadership. Where am I? OK, I’m under this box here. Who’s on top of that box? OK, let me go ask that person what I should do because they’ll know. 

Then the industrial machine enforces the org chart version of leadership. The top of that box tells the names inside the box what to do, then flows those directions on down to the name on top of the next box. And so on down the org chart. 

And how does one become a leader in the industrial machine? Why, get your name at the top of one of the boxes, of course. We used to promote the people who were good at their jobs, or good at telling those above what they wanted to hear, assuming that would make them good at the job above them on the org chart. This person is awesome at writing code. For sure, they’re gonna be great at telling all the others what they should do. 

The new paradigm requires true leadership, not org chart leadership. 

Leadership in the new work paradigm does require a top-down skillset — vision, what we care about, willingness to try new things (that might not work), connections, and who can best help with what. But it also requires a bottoms-up skillset — willingness to listen, courage to forge ahead, ability to change one’s mind, and the persuasive skills to enroll the team. 

The org chart does have a purpose, though — to give you an idea of “who’s doing what.” If you’re wondering who to talk to or you’re looking for some expertise outside of your circle, the org chart can point you in the right direction. 

Other than that, you might as well use that org chart as a wall decoration. 

Nothing is static. Certainly not work.

You seek candidates primed for growth. Growth within their roles, growth as individuals, growth in enriching the team’s capabilities.

Growth blends the qualities of curiosity and excitement with competence. Competence provides them with base. Curiosity nudges them to question, to experiment, and to learn. Excitement fuels their dedication to their role, the mission, and the teaam.

Growth is potential.

General Managers and coaches all over the sports world talk about growth and potential. Those are the diamonds in the rough — the hidden gems. The raw materials that just need to be shaped like clay in their hands. The ones who might not be all that now but will be all that in the future.

You care about growth, not just because of the hidden gems, but because growth is the engine that drives making great things. Stagnation is death. To ensure your team’s growth, you need individuals who can match that momentum step for step.

Growth, in essence, is the journey from ‘what is’ to ‘what could be’. And it’s this journey that transforms individuals, galvanizes teams, and propels organizations forward.

The days of supervisor, compliance, shifts, and authoritative micromanagement are over.

I started working in corporate America at a large defense contractor in the early 90s. We worked from 7:30 am to 4:15 pm, with a 45-minute lunch break. At 7:15, my manager walked around the office informally tracking attendance. Same thing at 1:00 and then again at 4:30. We filled out weekly time cards and tracked overtime and compensation time in 15-minute increments.

Tucked behind a drawer in my desk, I discovered a crumpled snapshot of this very office from the 50s. The image revealed a workspace reminiscent of kindergarten classrooms—rows of identical desks directed towards the supervisor’s spot. Occupying each station was an indistinguishable man — crew cuts, white shirts, and dark ties only varied by the presence of eyewear.

Compliance. Work the hours. Do what we say. Ask the boss. Don’t question. Fit in.

As a manager today, you’re equipped with numerous tools to enforce similar compliance. Credentials logs, keystroke monitoring, slack statuses, mandatory 9:00 am Zoom meetings—it’s all trackable.

Throw them away. Disable them. They’re the enemy of hiring and leading great teams.

Because what you need today are adults. Individuals who assume responsibility, make decisions, show up, contribute, communicate proactively, troubleshoot issues, respect their peers, voice disagreements, defend their convictions, and manage the integration of work and home life.

A high-performing team calls for such adults. And your recruitment process must be fine-tuned to identify them.

You’re looking for people who care.

Because people who care invest themselves in the mission, and when people invest in the outcome, the tide rises, and so do the boats.

Investment comes in several forms.

It might be investment in the collective mission. What we’re building here is important; therefore, I care.
Or it might be investment in one’s contribution. I’m important to this mission; therefore, I care.
Or it might be investment in the team. This team and its people are important; therefore, I care.

The invested team member enrolls. They sign up. They’re motivated beyond the paycheck. They see value in the work they do, and we do, and connect it to a greater purpose. This connection breeds their best effort, elevating their work’s quality, commitment to the team, and ability to innovate.

Invested team members display resilience in facing challenges, viewing obstacles as temporary, and spurring innovative solutions. Their commitment unites individuals into a cohesive, collaborative team, fostering a positive work culture centered around a shared goal.

Sometimes they’re ornery, but that’s their investment talking. You should listen to the ornery people who care.

You want people who care. You need people who invest.

You’re not hiring somebody for what they’ve done. You’re hiring them for what they’re going to do.

The number one indicator of future performance is curiosity and excitement about the work. Those who are curious and excited engage with the work. Engagement breeds investment, immersion, and exploration.

People brimming with excitement see their tasks as interesting puzzles waiting to be decoded. They care, wanting to dissect the “why” and “how” behind their tasks. They become craftsmen. Such immersion amplifies their dedication and the quality of their work.

Curiosity is the spark that ignites innovation. It compels individuals to scrutinize the status quo, traverse uncharted territories, and table unconventional solutions. Their distinctive viewpoints keep the organization on its toes, promoting a culture of dynamism and competitiveness.

With the ever-changing professional landscape sprouting new technologies and strategies, curious minds stay ahead of the curve and discover new and changing paths. They help the team adapt to these changes, turning them into a strategic advantage.

Curiosity and excitement are the dynamic forces that drive future performance. When you infuse your team with competent people who are genuinely curious and excited about the work, the rising tide lifts all the boats.

Never hire a clown to perform brain surgery.

My daughter was a Division 1 college gymnast. When she got to college, she and all of her teammates were already highly skilled. Yet, each season, the first week of formal practice focused on the most basic gymnastics skills — tumbling. Here is a team full of elite athletes practicing the same skills that toddlers start on. 

Why? Two reasons:

1. No matter how good you are, you can always get better at the basic skills
2. Being the best at basic skills lays a solid foundation for advanced skills, including learning new skills. 

Step one in understanding that hiring is not dating is to weed out anybody without the basic skill set. You’re building a great team, and a great team needs competent players.

However, competence is not just about advanced skills or an impressive resume. Competence, although required, is the lowest bar to satisfy. We’re not even talking if you don’t have the basic competence.

It’s what comes next that starts to separate the wheat from the chaff.