by Ken Vincent, Featured Contributor
Much has been written recently about the difference between leadership and management.
Leaders are painted as visionaries, caring, nurturing, and likable people. They inspire, and people follow them willingly. Their followers give their all for their leader.
Managers on the other hand are defined as demigogs and dictators. Driving people to a goal with a whip and chain. Dedicated to dotting every I and crossing every T. They care nothing about others.
I submit to you that those portraits are only definitions of a good manger verses a bad manager. Leadership is a management style. It is not a defined position with a job discription. It is not a job in the corporate office. Leadership is not a utopia where no manager dwells.
Good managers are leaders in the finest definition. We have all worked for good managers and bad. What was the difference? The good managers had a vision and they built a team of dedicated personnel that did their best to achieve a common goal. They built a team by being caring, nuturing, and inspiring others. The good managers used a leadership style of management.
Do you agree or do you really believe that leadership and management are different and unrelated?
The good managers I’ve worked for have been good listeners, gave me opportunities, sometimes threw me into the deep end but were there to toss me a lifeline if I needed it. My best manager taught me to be to first be prepared. Things are easier after that.
I agree with you Ken. A manager is a box on an org chart. A leader can emerge anywhere on the chart. What would be ideal is that those who exhibit leadership grow into those who sit in a box on the org chart. Doesn’t always happen.
“Serve Not Self” is the trait a true leader must have. To lead by example creates a team willing to sacrifice for to good of the whole.