In my experience, most really don’t.

I’ve worked in and consulted to large and small companies, publicly traded and privately held, government, private equity-owned, not for profit, universities, long-standing organizations, and startups.

Most of the managers I have observed everywhere are really great at what they do.

Their work lives (which often bleeds well into their personal lives) are challenging with OKRs, ops plans, budgets, resourcing, metrics, dashboards, and managing their people.

It’s common for most managers to want to dial back (or at least stabilize) the amount of new stuff and hard stuff.

Let me control what I can control.

Give me a group of solid performers, tell me what you need, and I’ll be happy to execute the heck out of it. I will see your repeatable processes and raise you on throughout, efficiency, and productivity.

Tell me what I have to do, and I’ll do it. I’ll even try to knock it out of the park. And tomorrow, we’ll do it even better.

A manager’s job is hard enough. Most, in my experience, aren’t really looking for more work or harder assignments.

And that’s ok.

Being a leader, on the other hand, with the new ideas, uncharted waters, and uncertainty, can be daunting for most. For some, it’s not of interest. For others, it’s out of reach.

Leaders drive vision, innovation, improvement, and imagination of a better company, or better world, and they take responsibility for trying to make things happen.

Although managers have to play an active role, it is the leader who’s job it is to bring about change.

It can be frustrating, difficult, dangerous, and risky. It’s also rewarding, inspiring, and essential.

There are too few leaders out there.

Leaders wanted.

Have a great weekend!

* It is said that explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton placed a similar wanted ad in the newspaper, looking for volunteers to join his expedition to Antarctica. A leaders wanted ad might look similar.