I took a week long vacation recently in Puerto Rico.  I got a massage while I was there.  As I was lying on the table during my session, I realized the therapist was really not doing a good job.

I longed for the person who I use close to home.  She does a great job.  She knows my problem areas and gets after them.  The guy who was working on me in Puerto Rico was just not cutting it.

The guy in Puerto Rico worked like an average manager.  My favorite masseuse at home works like a great leader.

A Leadership Analogy

Like most people, I gravitate towards sports, military, or movie analogies when I think of leadership.  But, the difference between an average massage and a great massage has merit as well.

How An Average Masseur Equates To An Average Manager

I have had a number of average massages.  They typically begin by the therapist engaging in some idle chit-chat and asking me a few questions about my problem areas.

Then the massage begins.  As the masseur works, it becomes obvious that I am just one more massage for him to get through that day.  He has a routine that he does that works for him.  There is a pattern he works from.

He may spend a little extra time in the areas I am hurting in.  But, his routine takes precedent – left shoulder, left back, right shoulder, right back, legs, roll over….

An average manager can work much in the same way.  He hears my issues, but seems distracted by the rest of the day in front of him.  He may offer a few words of advice, but they are rote responses and not individualized.

An average manager has the skills to do a thorough job and really help me, but that would take extra effort.  Individualized coaching does not follow the plan he worked out ahead of time and therefore is inconvenient.

How A Great Masseuse Equates To A Great Leader

My masseuse at home knows me.  The first time she worked on me, she took the time to discover my individual needs.  When she found bad areas I had not identified, she pointed them out and worked on those as well.

Her hands never brush over a problem area.  She digs!  It hurts sometimes.  But I am better off because she does not want me to just enjoy myself, she wants me to feel better.

If my bad areas are in my shoulders, she may never get to my legs in that session because she knows the most good can be done for me by focusing her efforts where I need it most.  She is 100% dedicated to my needs, not her plan.

A great leader knows her people as well.  She treats each person as an individual.  She may have an idea of what needs to be accomplished, but if a different problem or topic arises, that becomes her priority.

A great leader is never going to walk past or work around an issue.  If the issue is big enough, she is going to dig.  I have had leaders who pointed out my problem areas and it hurt!  But, I was better as a result of my leader’s resolve to make me better no matter if I felt a little pain in the process.

The Bottom Line:

I can find leadership analogies in the strangest places.  On a massage table in the tropics may be the strangest yet!  But, I am always exploring new ways to discuss what a great leader looks like.  In this case, a great leader looks like a great masseuse.

How can I be a great leader instead of an average manager?

  • I need to take the time to know my people.
  • I need to make their needs and not my plan my priority.
  • I need to focus on the problem areas that will help them the most.
  • I need to work those areas despite the discomfort I may cause.

If I lead in this way, I will build trust with my people.  They will know that I care about their progress because I take the time to know what they need.

Once I know what they need most and act on it, they believe I will do everything I can to make them better.  That is what great leaders and great masseuses do!

Question:

Where else can you find good leadership analogies?