Doris is the supervisor of security in a casino in the Midwest region of the country. As with all of the other accidental managers in our previous cases, Doris has had little, if any, formal training on how to manage others. Doris has been with the casino for about nine years in several different capacities. About a year ago she was moved into the security department and six months after that, when her boss left, she took over his job permanently. She was told she was "a natural" for overseeing the security staff. Doris was very surprised. She had never been in a supervisory position in any of her other jobs at the casino, and she hadn’t participated in the casino’s supervisory development program. All future supervisors, it seemed, went through a two-year leadership academy program before they were promoted into leadership roles. Doris began to believe that she must be a really good employee to be given this promotion—and 30 percent pay increase—especially without having to participate in the academy. (Actually, the casino needed a woman in the security supervisor position, for affirmative action reasons. There were no female candidates who had any security experience besides Doris.)
Symptoms of the Limelight Taker. Limelight Takers like to be the center of attention in their groups and enjoy taking all of the credit for the good work or the success of their function, unit, or department. They seldom give credit to an employee for coming up with a creative strategy, for being a highly consistent performer, or for doing something special or out of the ordinary. They brag to other departments or upper management on how well their group is doing because of them. They tell their own employees that the unit or department could not run without their supervision and that they, the employees, are lucky to have such a great leader. Limelight Takers go to every organizational meeting and make every presentation; they tend not to give recognition to their employees. They want everyone in the company to believe that disaster would occur if it weren’t for them.
Impact on Staff. Staff members resent the Limelight Taker, whether it is their boss or one of their colleagues. They believe if they have done something well they should get the credit for it. They also appropriately believe that no one person is responsible for the success of any team. Because this resentment builds up over time, eventually the staff will lose respect for the Limelight Taker. They also become angry and demoralized and attempt to undermine the credibility of the Limelight Taker. They know what is going on and want everyone else in the organization to realize it as well.
Impact on Department/Organization. When employees are victims of a Limelight Taker, they will do whatever is necessary to demonstrate that credit is being stolen from them. This consumes much of their energy. Additionally, their anger extends beyond the individual Limelight Taker to the entire department or organization. They get distressed that other managers do not see what’s really going on. A resulting consequence can be disillusionment with the entire organization and a loss of loyalty.
Why Accidental Managers Become Limelight Takers. Accidental managers are often given a story that they are the only ones who can take on a particular managerial role, that the company desperately needs them, and that they are exceptional in their line of work. This is done to convince them to become the manager (there are some accidental managers, though a small percentage, for whom the story is true). They are put on a pedestal and start to believe that they belong there, no matter what they do. Before long, they can develop the "big head" syndrome. Power corrupts and is an aphrodisiac.
Hints for the Limelight Taker. Becoming a good manager, accidental or not, takes times and much hard work. But it is a very rewarding experience when successful. One of the keys to managerial success is being able to rely on your staff to help you accomplish your department’s objectives. Develop staff members by training them and delegating to them. Work with them. You need them. Give them the recognition that they deserve. Share the limelight with them.