In the ninth-century, the Frankish historian Einhard provided a medieval depiction of what many modern-day managers and would-be managers think their job might look like. Describing the last of the Merovingian kings, his “sole command function was to sit back on his throne with flowing hair, his beard uncut, satisfied with the name of king and the appearance of ruling.”
The “appearance of ruling” sticks out to me and I would hope that any manager would avoid that perception like the plague. Consider the rest of Einhard’s description.
He listened to ambassadors, wherever they came from, and when they departed he gave them replies which he had been taught or ordered to say.
How bad is it when you meet a manager that does not seem capable of speaking for himself or who cannot present an original thought?
Except for the empty name of king and a small stipend which the prefect of the court granted as it seemed best, he owned nothing else of his own but one estate, and that with a small income. There he had a house and servants ministering to his needs and showing obedience, but they were few in number.
Do you every look at a manager and think, “Yeah, but who or what do you manage?” Sadly, many companies have poorly structured career paths, which means that high performers have no option but to become managers. If they want a better salary, they can either start managing a team regardless of their desire to lead, or they can leave for a different, higher-paying company. The result is you have a high performer that was great at their job, but sucks at managing teams.
When he needed to travel he went in a cart pulled by yoked oxen and was led by a cowherd in the country manner. Thus he went to the palace and also to the public assembly of his people, which was held every year for the welfare of the kingdom, and thus he used to return home. But the administration of the kingdom and everything which was to be planned or executed at home or abroad was arranged by the prefect of the court.
More than 1100 years later, I continuously meet people who think that if they just had the title of “manager,” then they would be set in terms of getting people to respect them. Some people think they cannot influence situations without the title and thus, they do not even try. Yet, it the title brings no guarantee, as we have all met managers who we did not respect. The worst case scenario is that people see a newly promoted manager as Einhard saw the late Merovingian kings—an empty title sucking up money while others make the decisions and do the work.