Thinkydoers®: OKRs, Strategy, and Leadership for Career Rebels: How to Suck Less As A Manager, with Ben Arendt

How to Suck Less As A Manager, with Ben Arendt

Jul 17, 2024

Want to suck less as a manager? Or, do you work with a manager who sucks?

Either way, you are NOT alone. Many managers struggle to become good at the difficult job of management: whether it stems from insufficient self-awareness, ineffective communication skills, or a lack of necessary tools, Ben Arendt believes that all managers have a responsibility to improve themselves for the benefit of their careers and the teams they lead. Ben is Principal Consultant at Depth Charge Consulting and author of the recently-released book: How to Suck Less as a Manager: A Practical Guide to Making Your Team Less Miserable Today!

In this episode, you’ll learn practical strategies that managers can take right now to better understand, communicate with, and support their teams.

Ben highlights the far-reaching impact of leadership and management, we discuss the importance of intellectual humility and the role that vulnerability plays in leadership, as well as his some tips for managing yourself when your manager sucks.

We also take a side trip into why we both believe leaders should increase their awareness around skills for working with diverse teams and disabled team members, and a few insights on leading and being led while neurodivergent.

From fostering a positive work environment to driving team performance, this conversation is full of valuable insights that can transform your leadership approach today.

Ready to take the first step towards becoming a more effective and inspiring manager? You're in the right place.

Key Points From This Episode:

An overview of Ben’s fascinating career journey and how it led him to write this book.
The self-awareness and continuous self-improvement required to be a better manager.
How listening to and learning from others can help you develop intellectual humility.
Why difficult conversations with diverse groups of people are key to a leader’s success.
Three types of activities managers need to do to improve their craft.
Practical advice for those who are dealing with managers that suck.
Why Sara coaches that “productive struggling” may be a learning step, but sufferring at work is not acceptable.
Ben's basic toolkit for better communication skills.
Strength in vulnerability: why leaders should embrace emotional transparency.
Why you should probably never be the smartest person in the room as a manager or leader.
Pro tips for leaders and aspiring leaders who are neurodivergent or "wired differently."
Major setbacks that helped to propel Ben forward in his career.
Three key similarities between OKRs and being a better manager.

Quotes:

“If you don't care, you don't deserve to be here [in management]. If you're not willing to listen to other people, you're probably going to do a bad job.” — Ben Arendt [09:50]

“Communication, as sophisticated as it is, is imperfect. There are a lot of things that we as managers – can do better, both to help people be [motivated and engaged], but also get them the things that they want so that their careers improve down the line.” — Ben Arendt [15:50]

“There are a lot of people that should not be in leadership [who] have become managers because that was just the next step in their career.” — Ben Arendt [18:38]

“Getting a diversity of thought and perspective is not value signaling. It's an imperative.” — Ben Arendt [24:18]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

How to Suck Less as a Manager, on Amazon

How to Suck Less as a Manager website

Ben Arendt on LinkedIn

Bed Arendt Email

Depth Charge Consulting

Sara Lobkovich

Sara Lobkovich on Instagram

Sarah Lobkovich Email

Sara Lobkovich on Mastadon

Red Currant Collective