Leadership 7th Edition by Andrew DuBrin, Ann Fisher, Andrew DuBrin

Exercise 11

Margo Santelli is the director of the municipal bond group of a financial services firm. Santelli has four managers reporting to her, each of whom supervises a unit of the group, including retail sales, institutional sales, customer service, and internal administration. Laura Gordon, the branch director and company vice president, heard rumblings that the group was not receiving enough supervision, so she decided to investigate. During a dinner meeting requested by Laura, she asked Margo about her approach to leading the group. Margo replied:
"I am leading my four managers as if they are all responsible professionals. I believe in management by exception. Unless I am aware of a problem, I am hesitant to get involved in how my managers conduct their work. Don't forget that as the head of the municipal bond group, I have some responsibility for spending time with major customers as well as meeting with you and other senior executives.
"I do hold a weekly meeting, and conduct my annual performance reviews as required." Laura thanked Margo for having attended the dinner, and said that the meeting was informative. With Margo's permission, Laura said that she would be visiting the municipal bond group to have a few casual conversations with the four managers. When asked about Margo's leadership, the first manager said his nickname for Santelli was Macro Margo because, instead of being a micromanager, she went to the other extreme and was a macromanager who maintained minimal contact with the group. He added that at timesMargo didn't even seem to care what was happening. The manager said, "I recently asked Margo's advice about finding a good contact who could introduce me to the pension fund manager of a hospital. Margo told me that a big part of my job was to develop contacts on my own."
The second manager Laura spoke to said that she enjoyed working with Margo because she was a nice person who didn't get in her hair. "I don't need a boss to remind me to attain my goals or get my work done on time. A little smile of encouragement here and there is all I need," the manager said. The third manager said to Laura, "I think Margo would be a great manager for me a few years down the road. But right now, I do not want to feel so much on my own. Margo is a talented person who I could learn from. Yet she is more involved with customers and higher-level management than she is her managers. I'm new in the field, so I could use more of a coaching style of manager." The fourth manager said,
"I remember meeting Margo a few times, but I don't remember much about her. You said she is my manager? I don't care if my comments get back, because I'm joining a competitor next month."
What advice can you offer Margo to be a more effective leader?