What would a materials manager have to do to be perceived as an effective leader?

First and foremost, they must have an infectious passion for what they are doing. Second, they must be willing to commit the time and energy to study transition theory well enough to preach, teach and live it. Third, they must understand themselves well enough to know their shortcomings. Fourth, they must transform their weaknesses into strengths; personally or by utilizing the resources of employees or peers.

For a variety of reasons, the healthcare industry perceives materials managers as customer service personnel who manage "things" and "people" for the purpose of satisfying the desires and wishes of department managers, physicians and executives.

It is also important to distinguish between leadership and management. In his book, What Leaders Really Do, John P. Kotter writes, "Leadership is different from management, and the primary force behind successful change of any significance is the former, not the latter." In another of his books, Leading Change, he explains that leadership drives change while management controls it. In that book, he also added "Management is a set of processes that can keep a complicated system of people and technology running smoothly. The most important aspects of management include planning, budgeting, organizing, staffing, controlling and problem solving."

While you may fit that description or agree you will strive to achieve the objective, it is critical to fully understand the true meaning and magnitude of what leadership really is. Kotter added, "Leadership is a set of processes that creates organizations in the first place or adapts them to significantly changing circumstances. Leadership defines what the future looks like, aligns people with that vision, and inspires them to make it happen despite the obstacles."

Until now you may have been recognized as a great manager of materials and even people. Based on Kotter’s definition, are you recognized as a leader? Keep in mind; Mr. Kotter’s books make the point that there are many types and styles of leadership. You have the opportunity to develop our own. To get there, however, you need a map.

In the Jim Collins book, "Good to Great," he writes about five levels of leadership with Level Five being the most effective. Based on an informal survey I conducted with industry experts, the responses indicated a materials manager must be at least a Level Three Leader to be considered effective. According to Collins, a Level Three Leader is a "competent manager" who "organizes people and resources toward the effective and efficient pursuit of predetermined objectives." Odds are that, if you are at Level Three, you will be viewed as being competent and proficient in the role traditionally associated with a materials manager.

But compare this to the Collins Level Four Leader who is an "effective leader" that "catalyzes commitment to and vigorous pursuit of a clear and compelling vision, stimulating higher performance standards" and you see the room for advancement. Or you can compare that level of effectiveness with the Level Five Executive who "builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will."

Clearly, while you can be an effective and highly regarded materials manager when you achieve Level Three status, you will still be perceived as a manager and, by the Collins definition, may not be recognized as a leader in your organization.

Effective leaders facilitate more then they dictate change. They communicate the vision of the organization, their goals and objectives for how to contribute to that vision and rally others to participate or surpass that objective. Facilitation and communication should become extremely important to you because these skills are two of the drivers for your success.

Frankly, until now most materials management departments have rarely been recognized for their potential. In fact, they have been prevented from being allowed (as the commercial says) "to become all that they can be." Since the position was introduced into healthcare more than twenty years ago, materials managers have struggled to receive the authority to exert more control over greater portions of the non-labor expenditures of their organization. Therein lies the crux of the problem. Healthcare has evolved in such a way that department managers and physicians actually resist and resent anyone who tries to exercise control or authority over their prerogatives.

Look again at some of the words used to describe Level Four and Level Five leaders; "catalyzes commitment," "clear and compelling vision," "personal humility and professional will." These are not words that describe the stereotypical materials manager who may sit at the bar while attending an AHRMM meeting and brag that their exam gloves are one dollar per box cheaper than their GPO contract or want to compare "cost plus" numbers. This does not describe the materials manager that considers the O.R. supervisor "she who must be obeyed." These words would not describe others in the organization as being adversaries.

They would, however, describe someone who recognized the value of establishing win-win processes, focused on outcomes rather than control (not who did something but why, what and how the result was achieved) and spent ample time recognizing others for their contributions toward meeting or exceeding the expectations of the organization. In essence, these words would be used to describe a "graduate" manager; one who made the transition to leadership. Are you ready to follow the path toward leadership?

Careful study of the principles of effective team building clearly indicates leaders focus on outcomes, not on being a chairperson of committees. For example, what if you perceived a potential opportunity for significant cost reduction in the laboratory? You might bring together a team consisting of yourself, the lab director, a lead tech, a value analysis coordinator and a representative from finance. In a leadership role, your first task might be to help the team to identify if a real opportunity existed and then how to take full advantage of it. However, to be an effective leader, it would be wise to plan every aspect of the meeting; including how you will facilitate the process for the benefit of the laboratory. Planning should focus on trying to build a process that will cultivate a relationship that can foster even bigger opportunities in the future. How? By getting the people involved in designing the process, to own it, to recognize its value. A proverb that reminds me of this valuable lesson is, "Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand." Besides the need to involve "users" in the process, a key to success will be explaining your role as facilitator and the desire to insure credit for any accomplishment will be given to the team.

Unfortunately, some materials managers, in an effort to bring more attention to their department and/or its contributions, often tout the savings that "they" find to their CFO or CEO. But would that decision be considered one that describes leadership? In Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, he points out that, "Team leaders must be selfless and objective, and reserve rewards and recognition for those who make real contributions to the achievement of group goals."

Think about it this way, how much more effective would you be with a commitment to participate with your endeavors by the laboratory director and their staff? Obviously, it would be in your best interest to focus beyond one project and attempt to develop an ongoing process for stimulating other opportunities to reduce expenses. When other department managers see that the laboratory is being recognized for their efforts, wouldn’t they be more likely to welcome your involvement?

There are two important factors to consider regarding the transformation from leadership to management. First is the ability to recognize the attributes that differentiate between these skills (see the sample comparisons provided). Second is the fact that both good leaders and good managers are needed for an organization to be successful. Therefore, even if your skills do not currently place you in the category of being a Level Three leader, your role in the organization can still be a major one. Accordingly, by merely recognizing the actions necessary to be perceived as an effective leader, while functioning as an accomplished manager, you can still be able to work toward the goal of enhancing your leadership ability. Then, with study and practice displaying the attributes of a leader, the way you are perceived throughout the organization can be enhanced. After all, it is your peers who will decide whether or not you are viewed as a leader!

Do not listen to comments that leaders are born and not made. Your actions will define whether or not you get people to cooperate with you. Having a positive impact on the organization through credibility and respect should be your objective, not whether or not you are referred to as a manager or a leader. The following are several ways you can build upon your levels of credibility and respect:

•Learn facilitation skills. These skills will apply not only to meetings but in your day to day interactions with others.

•Team building is crucial to your success. Ensure that you "walk the talk" by building a strong, effective "home" team first.

•Learn the true meaning of WIN/WIN; not WIN/win (a need which is seen too often in the materials management/supply chain profession).

•Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Only after you understand both, can you make better team building decisions.

•Recognize the efforts of your employees and your associates. Promote their accomplishments to others – this will be returned to you 10 times over. HPN

Good to Great, Jim Collins, Harper Collins, New York, NY, 2001

FISH, Stephen Lundin, Hyperion, New York, NY, 2000

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick M Lencioni, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA, 2002

What Leaders Really Do, John P. Kotter, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA, 1999

Leading Change, John P. Kotter, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA, 1996