Landscape Architect Articles

2007 March LSMP PGMS: Leadership Means Empowerment03-26-07 | News

Leadership Means Empowerment

Michael Mongon, PGMS President, Fairview Country Club

Michael Mongon, PGMS President, Fairview Country Club

It?EUR??,,????'???s not easy to write this column every month. Sometimes you just have to struggle to come up with an appropriate theme. Other times, I?EUR??,,????'???ll agree, it?EUR??,,????'???s pretty easy to write about the PGMS School of Grounds Management or membership or some other current program PGMS is promoting among the grounds management profession.

Today, however, I find myself facing a challenge. Of course, I could continue to stress the importance of being a member of PGMS and how membership is really an investment in making your grounds operation work more smoothly. I did that last month, however. I could also explain how great this year?EUR??,,????'???s combined GIE OPIE Expo will be when it debuts this coming fall, but I?EUR??,,????'???ve done that already, too. Then, there?EUR??,,????'???s the upcoming series of 2007 Regional Grounds Management Seminars beginning March 22-23 in Asheville, N.C.

I just don?EUR??,,????'???t want to spend a lot of time on these subjects. I think I?EUR??,,????'???d rather focus on leadership and what it takes to be a good leader. Of course, thousands of books, by thousands of ?EUR??,,????'??expert?EUR??,,????'?? authors have already been written and are easily obtained at your nearest library or Barnes & Noble. I have only this column to write, so obviously there won?EUR??,,????'???t be a great deal of depth.

There are many ways to empower your employees, but one of them is to recognize each person?EUR??,,????'???s strengths, and then give them the opportunity to use those strengths to do their job properly.

All of us view leadership differently. As President of PGMS, I?EUR??,,????'???m in the enviable position of being able to not only offer my leadership talents ?EUR??,,????'??? as limited as they may be ?EUR??,,????'??? to assist my professional association in reaching its goals, I also have the opportunity to learn and grow by observing other volunteer members as they exercise their leadership skills as members of the PGMS Board of Directors, or as a chairperson of a committee, or even a participant on a committee. From all of this, I am able to glean some finely honed abilities that I am amassing in my quiver.

Subtleties of leadership are amazing. There?EUR??,,????'???s everything from the ?EUR??,,????'??Do it now!?EUR??,,????'?? approach of former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca to the somewhat laissez faire style of PGMS?EUR??,,????'??? Executive Director Tom Shaner. It?EUR??,,????'???s funny, Tom always points out that his work toward an MBA was based, in part, on the book ?EUR??,,????'??Watership Down.?EUR??,,????'?? Not generally on anyone?EUR??,,????'???s reading list when studying leadership, according to Tom, the book highlights the epitome of how to empower a team toward its goals. Simply stated, the book draws on the plight of a covey of rabbits and how one rabbit that was never recognized for any leadership skills ended up leading all the rabbits through a series of harrowing journeys to safety. The only true skill of this ?EUR??,,????'??leading?EUR??,,????'?? rabbit was his ability to recognize which of the other rabbits (think personnel) was best suited for each task and then to let that rabbit exercise his or her skills in his or her own manner to accomplish the task.

Too often, we all have a tendency to want to oversee every step taken by those who are ?EUR??,,????'??under?EUR??,,????'?? us. This cramps their style and makes them less likely to initiate processes that could, in fact, save you money or bring you new clients.

Money is no longer the number one reason why someone takes or stays in a job; ultimately, it becomes how self-rewarding the job is to that person. When the employee is given the reins, there is an immediate ?EUR??,,????'??buy-in?EUR??,,????'?? to the mission to be accomplished. There is personal commitment and desire to succeed.

Empowering employees and volunteers is a wonderful, rewarding style of leadership. It might not be the best for you, but having witnessed it during my many years on the PGMS Board and now as President, I can only say, I like what I see and how it helps PGMS move forward in its objectives to advance the grounds management profession.