Management is doing things right, Leadership is doing the right things – Peter Drucker
The greatest myth of the corporate world is that a leader and a manager both are the same people.
In very simple terms, a manager is a person who manages people whereas a leader is a person who leads, inspires and motivates people. Theoretically, a leader may or may not be a good manager but every manager should be a good leader.
But this is not the case every time. Often managers behave as if they are paid to make the lives of his team miserable, and act that way too. Often they forget that industrial age has long expired, and this is the age of connected, hyper-active economy driven by intellectual skills and logical power.
If a manager wants to succeed today, he will have to become a leader.
Here are 7 steps using which any manager can become a leader; although it may not happen overnight, but yes, a new beginning is always possible.
Contents
Leaders Scold In Private But Appreciate In Public
The biggest embarrassment and blow to self-confidence for an employee is public bashing by his manager, infront of all his colleagues. Once such an incident happens, a permanent black mark is embedded into that employee’s mind; the mark of ‘self doubt’.
Old school managers assume that public bashing will ‘pressurize’ the employee and make him work. No, nothing of sorts happen actually. The respect and trust of the manager diminishes, and the employee will start avoiding doing great things. He will always be under fear of more public bashing.
A true leader will scold or shout at the team member in private, in case any such requirement arises, and always, always appreciate in public, infront of others. This simple change of action can instill tremendous amount of self-confidence and a new power into the employee.
The cup is always half-full for a Leader
The manager will intentionally or unintentionally, always point to the bad things; if the project is taking time to complete, he will point out, if his team member is absent, he will point out, if the employee is taking too many leaves, he will point out.
On the other hand, the leader will only point to the good things in the office. If the project is taking time to complete, he will point out the unique factors which are being introduced in the project, if the team member is absent, he will point out the best things he has done and encourage him to do more of that (which means taking less leaves), if the employee is taking leaves, he will try to find the reason, and pick out the best part of that.
The leader is always optimistic, and always taking everyone along by picking the good things not the bad. The glass is always half full for the leader whereas always half empty for the manager.
Leader Give Credit To Others; Managers Take Credit From Others
There is a very strong theory in management, according to which, greatness within an organization comes from influence and not force. Team members should be influenced to greatness and this influence can only come from a self-less leader.
A good manager will always give credit to his team, his colleagues and his sub-ordinates. This creates an environment of goodwill and positive energy which is flows all over the office, and help team members to create greatness. On the other hand, a bad manager will always steal credit from others, by-pass his colleagues and present himself as more knowledgeable than his sub-ordinates.
Bad karma brings bad luck.
Managers Seek Control And Give Answers; Leaders Give Control And Ask Questions
Which kind of manager are you – one who gives answers and seek control or the one who ask questions and give the control back to his team?
Shouting orders to your team for performance enhancement will only bring down the results. Don’t try to seek control over the team; but encourage them to follow their own paths, and use their own creativity.
A leader wont be having any answers, but he will have lots of questions. He will ask questions and let his team decide how and what to do. He doesn’t seek control but gives the control back to the team.
Managers Do Their Jobs; Leaders Build Relationships
Yes, both are doing their job as per the terms and conditions of the employment. But on one hand a manager is simply doing his job, a leader builds relationship with his team.
For example, there are several ways to invite a subordinate to a conversation; the manager will says, “I want to talk with you” which denotes authority whereas a leader will say, “I want to speak with you”, which actually denotes his leadership skills.
The intention and the attitude of a leader would be to build long term relationship with his team which can travel way beyond a job. Such solid relationships actually help the leader to become more powerful and more useful for others. On the other hand, the manager is thinking about this whole affair as a job, and he treats his team members and subordinates as something which the job demands. He is not building a relation but simply doing his job.
No wonder none of such managers were ever able to achieve respect and greatness.
The world needs more leaders who can inspire and motivate people and build great companies. The world has changed, and so has the management rules. When are you becoming the leader?
