Helping You Prepare for the Unexpected
                                                                                                               October 2012

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Leader? Manager?
How do you define a leader and a manager?  What do they do?  Are there distinguishing characteristics?  Is one more important than the other? 

I'm going to take a contrarian perspective and say that they BOTH ARE VALUABLE! Here's why. Sure, it's great to have ideas that you think will be hot and successful. But, what are those ideas without people who can deliver results? Simply put, those ideas are nothing more than dreams.

Let's begin with the traditional characteristics of a leader. Here are the traits that are typically identified:
1. Sets direction and develops vision
2. Shows passion for achieving the vision
3. Communicates vision, mission and direction
4. Aligns the organization
5. Motivates and inspires
6. Energizes employees to overcome barriers to success
7. Takes educated risks as needed
8. Relies on new methods, processes and models to solve problems

Some think of a leader as a person who is innovative, flexible, and inspires others to achieve. It's almost as though we think of leaders as the dreamers - the creative people who develop the path for the business and the team to follow.

Let's jump over to the manager side of life.  What are managers expected to do? If I were to construct a list similar to the list for a leader, it would look like this:
1. Develops plans and budgets that align with the vision
2. Establishes structure - who will do things, when, how, where
3. Executes the vision
4. Establishes policies and procedures that tie into the vision
5. Establishes and controls processes
6. Identifies and solves problems
7. Delivers expected results
8. Records results

When you look at the two lists, it's easy to come to the conclusion that managers focus on control, process and execution, and leaders focus on change, creation, and innovation. If you were to poll colleagues, I would bet that most say they want to be leaders because leadership is more valuable. It's as if management is beneath some of us. 

"Experts" will always pay homage to the idea person, and dismiss the person responsible for the dirty work or pressure of delivering results.  There's no glamour in the latter. I believe it's next to impossible to romanticize the management aspect. Executing plans, recording results, and discussing ways to improve isn't flashy.

When you wear both hats, you will find that more of your team is going to jump on board and do whatever it takes to deliver.  Kicking back in the office and "creating" is often a lonely and unsatisfying journey.

Forecasting Program
It just doesn't make sense to manage your business relying solely on budgets.  As someone who sat in the CFO chair, I used budgets as my starting point, BUT added forecasting to my toolbox to help the business become more agile and focused. 

Ignite's forecasting program blends S&OP with expense analysis to provide you with a tool that provides insight on your business's direction.  With this kind of insight, you can invest dollars in the right projects, and keep your team focused on the best initiatives.

Call today, and let's get started on giving you the tools you need to better lead your business. 

Feeling Numbery

If you're like me, then you like reading off-the-wall statistics that pop up in business magazines and journals.  Here are a few that I found this month. I think you will scratch your head or get a chuckle from them.  On our blog, there are a whole lot more in the "Business Statistics" section.  Enjoy!