How to Prosper, Survive or Die Under Godfather Management: A Guide for New Hires

By Leo Bartlett

It may be a matter of opinion calling a manager 'Godfather'. What one person feels is a great Godfather manager frustrate other employees. Individual personality styles of the supervisor and employee can the basis for this description of a supervisor. The results may please an organization yet interfere with individual personal needs.

The author observed successful and unproductive approaches over the past fifty years. Styles span from Godfather (GF) to situational. GF's rely on issuing orders and demanding completion on time, without question, being unaware fear is being generated in employees. Situational Managers take the time to understand the follower's ability and willingness to do the job and supports them when needed. This means providing both task and relationship behaviors that grow employees.
Why do some prosper and grow under this style while others die?

Controlling tactics create a fearful environment. It accomplishes short range results, not for individuals but for the organization and their job security. The variance between satisfaction and frustration is being able to recognize these tactics early in a career.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Sep 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543946758

Book preview

© 2018 LEO BARTLETT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS BOOK CAN BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BARTLETT CONSULTING, INC.

Print ISBN: 978-1-54394-674-1

eBook ISBN: 978-1-54394-675-8

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Godfather Secrets

Chapter 2: Establishing Confidence

Chapter 3: Maintaining the Trust

Chapter 4: Importance of Behaviors

Chapter 5: Understand the Rules

Chapter 6: Dealing with Mistakes

Chapter 7: Reason for Contracts

Chapter 8: Effective vs Successful?

Chapter 9: Resolving Control Tactics

Chapter 10: Assess Your Motivation to Survive

Chapter 11: Concepts foreign to a Godfather Manager

Chapter 12: Lessons from the Past

Chapter 13: Survival Techniques

Introduction and Purpose

Furthering the career goals of employees is the purpose for writing this book. Recognizing different management styles is the first step to success. Avoiding early pitfalls of Godfather Management assists you to be more successful and effective reaching your career goals.

So, what is Godfather Management? Real or imagined, it’s when you work under a supervisor or manager who creates ‘fear’ in your mind. You do what they want done for fear of reprisal or something worse.

It may be a matter of opinion calling a manager ‘Godfather’. What one person feels is a great Godfather manager may frustrate other employees. Individual personality styles of the supervisor and employee can the basis for this description of a supervisor. The results may please an organization yet interfere with individual personal needs.

The author observed successful and unproductive approaches over the past fifty years. Styles span from Godfather (GF) to situational. GF’s rely on issuing orders and demanding completion on time, without question, being unaware fear is being generated in employees. Situational Managers take the time to understand the follower’s ability and willingness to do the job and supports them when needed. This means providing both task and relationship behaviors that grow employees.

Why do some prosper and grow under this style while others die?

We become by overcoming said Leonard Read, President of the Foundation for Economic Education. Each time we meet an obstacle and solve it we grow stronger and more confident. There are ways to prosper under a Godfather controlling tactics and solutions when you know how.

Controlling tactics create a fearful environment. It accomplishes short range results, not for individuals but for the organization and their job security. The variance between satisfaction and frustration is being able to recognize these tactics early in a career.

Recent graduates have limited opportunities to learn how the real world of work operates. Exposure to Leadership and Management from instructors with limited practical experience is good but limited in application on the job. Tactics and strategies identified here are real-world examples. Resolving these requires in-depth understanding. Identifying them is the first step. The knowledge to resolve the issues is the second step. Here we discuss both. Relating to these strategies is easier if you have the experience working for an organization or manager who applies them.

Strategies, good or bad, can become organizational competencies when practiced by most managers in the organization. It might be fair to say teachers and instructors use these strategies to create fear in the minds of students. Regardless where you run into one or more of these strategies, you must rectify the situation, or it is time to change jobs or leave.

There is a difference between a benevolent autocrat and a dictator. To some individuals both are Godfather, demanding things be their way or else.

The benevolent autocrat knows their strength comes from the people they supervise and, as a result, they will take care of their people. The dictator is interested in their own self-interest and will use any means to control. Dictators often are insecure individuals and use controlling tactics to keep their power.

Enjoy the journey and enjoy your jobs more by maximizing your potential. Survive Godfather Management or know when to leave.

Chapter 1

Godfather Secrets

The secret behind Godfather Manager’s Success

As a prelude for understanding the term Godfather, we need to explore the various definitions of management.

Because there are hundreds of books and articles written on leadership and management, we will highlight the key components common to most.

Whether legal or illegal, every organization follows a definite set of rules, practices and procedures.

An organization dictates the power that comes with a position. Then the manager can decide the strategies to use this power to get results.

A supervisor might accomplish short-range goals but fail to accomplish long-range effectiveness depending on how their followers handle this approach. Managers work for the organization and it expects employees to do as told.

The difference between Management and Leadership is straight forward.

Leaders focus on the developmental needs of the followers to accomplish results. These could be contrary to the organizational results.

An example is the informal leadership of a union representative. The union steward is not a manager but is a leader because they are negotiating for the good of the members.

It is best when a manager can be both. When needs of employees are the same as the organization the manager is both successful and effective.

Primary Godfather Style Managers

Two primary management/leadership styles rely on Godfather behaviors/strategies to achieve personal and organizational objectives.