How can you be a good leader and a good manager?
Great Leader ≠ Great Manager
Do you ever wonder how Leaders and Managers differ? Not all managers are great leaders, and on the flip side, not all leaders are great managers.
Let's dissect this statement a little bit. By definition, a manager is responsible for getting the best possible work from their team. At the same time, a Leader is motivating and inspiring and doesn't necessarily focus on deliverables. Their focus is on making the best-motivated teams that positively impact any organization.
Leaders are visionary, motivating and inspiring. Managers excel at organization, coordination, collaboration and controlling.
I've met some fantastic leaders who also happen to be my manager. Their focus was on identifying their team's strengths and using them to make the A-teams. Work always got done, but we all had fun doing it and felt privileged to be part of their teams.
Sometimes, your manager may be a good leader. Then you have hit the jackpot.
When dealing with Leaders YOU feel important, when dealing with a Manager, you feel the Manger is important
Most small business owners succeed when they are both excellent leaders and managers. In the corporate world, it's rare to see people who possess both these skills. However, it's not to say you can never develop the required skills.
Although Leaders have to be strategic, whereas Managers are more tactical, I've seen firsthand great managers acquiring leadership skills and making great leaders. In my view, we can all aim to be good leaders. We need to change our perspective a little bit. The following three points helped me in my journey.
- Evaluate impact vs. urgency of any situation: Don't get bogged by details. Take a step back and try to understand the overall effect of any issue. It will enable you to prioritize work and use your team members' strengths to the best advantage. Don't treat the urgent issues but essential issues first. A study by MIT Sloan Institute on Zombie Organizations states that organizations that fail to do so fall short of all goals as they keep working on band-aid fixes.
- Empower your teams as a manager: This lets you free up time to see the big picture and understand where people in your group need help. This way, you can mentor and motivate them.
- Focus on people: As good managers, we always strive to take care of our teams. But understanding that the team comprises people with emotions is so important. Be the mentor, and understand how you can make them successful and fulfilled.
Once you start focusing on the above three points, you slowly transition from being just a manager to a leader.
We are all on a journey of self-discovery and self-improvement. I hope you find these points helpful and become of the rare breed of people who are both excellent Managers and great leaders too.
