Business Leadership 16: Make It Fun to Work Like Old Fezziwig

This continues our series on leadership traits and roles that will improve your business

I intended to summarize and end this series on business leadership today. Previously, I shared ideas, thoughts, and theories from others. I linked you to their articles. I focused on their work, not my own thoughts. As a result, some of my previous posts seemed aloof, even distant, from my own thoughts. I still support and advocate the previous posts. I want, however, to add some of my personal ideas on leadership that will improve your business. Today’s thought, make it fun to work. I wish to contrast the crushing, fear-based leadership style found in too many businesses today; with the contagious joy exemplified by Old Mr. Fezziwig from A Christmas Carol.

Frank Waturi: Leveling Nihilism

Frank Waturi  was Tom Hanks’ and Meg Ryan’s boss in the film Joe Versus the Volcano. Frank inspired his staff with threats, micromanagement, and insults. He encouraged them to adopt a flexible mindset while personally exhibiting a solid close-mindedness

Patrick Loughlin describes Waturi’s workplace:

• “Complete drudgery
• All dreary earth tones leading to the numbing [flickering] greens emitted by the fluorescent factory lights, setting the tone for misery.
• Individualism and free thinking are crushed beneath industry's bottom line
• Not-putting-the-value-on-the-individual’s-feelings way
• Zombie lights sucking the juice out of eyeballs.
• Selling life for three hundred dollars a week”

Old Fezziwig: Contagious Joy

Scrooge describes Old Fezziwig from A Christmas Carol “He has the power to render us happy or unhappy, to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. Say that his power lies in words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count ‘em up; what then’ The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.”

Who do You Emulate?

• Does your leadership style lean towards Waturi or Fezziwig?
• What are you doing with your power to make employees happy or unhappy, to make their work light or burdensome, a pleasure or a toil?

Thursday we explore pros and cons of trusting and distrusting your employees