ABSTRACT
Managers, particularly executives, have rarely had the luxury to hire and fire at will. There have usually been extenuating circumstances that prevented the arbitrary firing of employees except at the lowest levels of unskilled labor. Leaders have to be aware of it as they begin using the coaching techniques described. One of the significant results of corporate downsizing and re-engineering is the elimination of most middle-management positions. This means executives, managers and supervisors all have more people reporting directly to them. The single element that determined success or failure was the leader’s -- manager’s, willingness to listen and the employee’s understanding that he was contributing to the solution. Even in those instances where the employee’s specific suggestions were rejected, there was measurable and observable improvement as long as the leader actually listened to the employee. Managers have to listen to effectively lead.
