Are You A Leader or a Manager ?

A great person attracts great people and knows how to hold them together – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Leadership and management go hand in hand but yet we have great managers who may not be great leaders.

• Have you identified why?
• Have you had a high turnover because of your manager ?
• Have you analyzed the traits of the team and those of the manager – High D,or C or S or I?

 Most of you may associate with the following descriptions of a leader and a manager.

Leader – one who inspires others by their actions and behavior. Leadership is a philosophy of life. Leadership is not about managing things but about developing people. It is about helping people to liberate the fullness of their talents while they pursue a vision that you have inspired them to buy into as a worthy and meaningful one. Great leaders are great teachers as well as great coaches.

Manager – managers direct and tell their team what to do. They plan for the achievement of day-to-day tasks and the goals of the department or group whom they manage. Managers, by nature, are concerned with outcomes.

A leader is not necessarily one with an organizational title but why don’t we have more managers considered as leaders?

Questions you need to ask is

• Do you Innovate & envision new possibilities
• Are you Resourceful and looks for solutions to problems
• Are you Empathetic with a focus on people
• Do you Inspire trust among stakeholders
• Do you Understand the big picture
• Do you Listen to understand and not respond
• Do you Challenges the state of affairs, and asks why and what can be improved
• Do you focus on strengths of people and give a framework to allow your team to develop their strengths
• Are you willing to give opportunities to people to grow
• Do you have a vision and inspire people towards that vision
• Do you Communicate with clarity and to understand
• Do you promote a culture of constructive criticism and are willing to make necessary changes or improvements
• Do you keep up your word
• Do you build trust and relationships
• Do you lead by example

In the article ―What Leaders Really Do, John Kotter writes: ‘Motivation and inspiration energize people, not by pushing them in the right direction as control mechanisms do but by satisfying basic human needs for achievement, a sense of belonging, recognition, self-esteem, a feeling of control over one‘s life, and the ability to live up to one‘s ideals. Such feelings touch us deeply and elicit a powerful response’ (p. 48).  The three practices that include this approach are: Showing Enthusiasm, Building Professional Networks, and Rallying People to Achieve Goals.

In The Leadership Challenge, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner write, ―Although the enthusiasm, energy, and positive attitude of a good leader may not change the content of work, they certainly can make the context more meaningful. You matter and a sense of appreciation is what leaders are aware about and this comes naturally to them.

Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner refer to leadership as ‘encouraging the heart in The Leadership Challenge’. They write ‘When people are worried, discouraged, frightened, and uncertain about the future, the last thing needed is a leader who feeds those negative emotions. Instead, we need leaders who communicate in words, demeanor, and actions that they believe we will overcome. Emotions are contagious, and positive emotions resonate throughout an organization and into relationships with other constituents’ (p. 31). The three practices that include this approach are: Being Approachable, Acknowledging Contributions, and Creating a Positive Environment.

Leadership is one of the most important management skills. It is a trait that positively affects all aspects of the business when properly administered. A manager with good leadership skills will do what is best for the individual, team that they manage and the company. They will encourage all members of the team to use and develop their talents, express ideas and contribute to the group, making sure everyone is included and everyone feels involved and appreciated.

‘A good measure of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better’–Jim Rohn.

In the organizational context, DISC can be used as a simple yet comprehensive construct to help leaders become more effective in the interpersonal aspects of leadership.

Dominance (“D” Factor) – How you handle problems and challenges

Influence (“I” Factor) – How you handle people and influence others

Steadiness (“S” Factor) – How you handle change and pace yourself

Compliance (“C” Factor) – How you handle rules and procedures set by others

For further details on DISC please contact me.

References : Everything DISC  363 for Leaders

 

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