 |
| Leaders vs Managers SAN 38 HDV.flv |
Does that chart look familiar to you? Have you used it at all in your presentations, discussions, small talk, etc? If you have, don't worry, I've been guilty of that, too! This is where the title of this issue starts to make a little more sense! I hope it does for you!
This fallacy of leaders vs managers, or bosses, or other variations of the same theme, has been around for too long. That's the trouble. People fail to see that it's a dead horse, and that whipping it to shreds isn't going to make it move. Charts like the one above perpetuate the myth, which, as we know but do so little about, is just like:
"Sin is a monster of such awful mien,
That to be hated, needs but to be seen.
But seen too oft, and full in face,
We at first wonder, then pity, then embrace".
It's gotten into the bones, as my old science teacher used to say. We should not view leadership and management in such a light. Instead, this is how we ought to see it:
1. A Unified Whole.
How many lives do you have? Do you have a work life, a personal life, a social life and a private life? Are you some sort of cat, or are you one of those strange people who have only one life? We have become very good at analyzing, demarcating, classifying and sorting. Now, all these skills are good and necessary. The trouble is, we have become so good at "specializing" in those skills that we think we should either have all or nothing. We call the plumber for a blocked toilet. The electrician for a blown fuse. We go into fits if we have to send the maid back home. No, I'm not suggesting that those vocations are obsolescent, I am saying that we have become too dependent on them. That is what I mean by "A unified whole". It is not at all about "Leaders vs Managers", it is understanding that those in management positions or functions need to have good leadership qualities, and that leaders like CEOs, "entrepreneurs", etc, need to have management and organizational skills in addition to having great leadership qualities. Otherwise, you will have "managers" who feel condemned to playing second fiddle to "leaders" all their lives, and you will get "leaders" who think all they have to do is dream big and someone else will get the job done. Neither of these is useful to society as a whole. Think holistically. Think systems. Think living, breathing organisms.
2. A Staff Development Opportunity.
Viewing leadership qualities and management skills as both useful and necessary gives us many opportunities to develop our staff to their fullest in terms of capabilities, qualities and capacities. It also makes our organization a truly great place to work at. Are you afraid of developing your staff "too much"? Afraid they'll jump ship at the slightest opportunity? Well, what are you doing to make your business grow? How are you continuously adding value to your clients, your customers, your stakeholders? Do you find that you need to grow your repertoire of skills each year as you continue in the business? You should! Why should your staff remain with you if you are not growing? And if they do remain with you, it simply means that you have gathered a mediocre class of seamen who can do nothing but remain in the proverbial doldrums. Develop your staff every chance you get. Don't classify them into "managers" and "leaders". If that's what you do, your "leaders" won't stay with you anyway!
3. Maximizing occupational fit to known preferences.
We all have our preferences. Probably, we do have some base-level preferences that characterize our behaviour. However, our preferences will change with time and circumstance. Please note that I said preferences, not convictions and values. Our values, our character qualities, ought to be growing and improving over time. That's everyone, without exception. I'm talking about preferences here. Some people just prefer to work in a nice office and crunch numbers. Others just like to go out, meet people, develop and maintain relationships, and close deals. No matter. Just realize that preferences do change. Also, it's ok to want to work in the deep recesses of a public library if that is what you really want to do at the time. Just make sure it's not a cover that you use if you are one of those that dread meeting people because you haven't sorted out your own life yet. And this is where we all need to recognize that people are not static digits in the corporate machine, they are human beings. Inside those warm bodies, there are persons. You cannot afford to be either the "leader" or the "manager" as many charts like the one above suggest. You have all got to "lead" and "manage" your people as people. Ever-changing, with needs and wants, existing in a state of dynamic equilibrium, which can shift at any time. So, just because your personal assistant has been your personal assistant for the last twenty years doesn't mean he or she needs to remain so for the next twenty. If you truly know her/ him, you would have her/ his developmental needs at heart as well. It's good for business, believe it or not.
So there you have it. Get your facts sorted out, don't believe everything people tell you, and make it your business to educate yourself and grow. Only then will you manage to be a true leader! Go well!
