My views on managing and leading ...

by Mark Evenden @ Developing People Limited

Here is a quick exercise for you -- which of the following words and phrases would you associate with management and which ones with leadership?

Giving responsibility to others.
reporting,
monitoring,
team-building,
having courage,
budgeting,
control,
determining direction,
developing strategy,
measuring,
applying rules and policies,
discipline,
inspiring others

You may have come up with a list that looks like the following.

Management related words and phrases:

control
reporting
monitoring
budgeting
measuring
discipline
applying rules and policies

Leadership related words and phrases:
team-building
having courage
giving responsibility to others
determining direction
development
inspiring others

My own views and experiences are that management is concerned with the here and now, the day to day operation of a businesses or organisation. I have seen great managers and they are concerned with people and processes and getting things done efficiently and effectively in order to meet the current requirements of customers, and other stakeholders. Management activities are therefore associated with words such as reporting, monitoring, budgeting, measuring, and control.

I believe leadership is slightly different. It is about today's business in part but it is particularly about tomorrow's business and how the business must develop and change to meet the changing needs of the marketplace, customers and employees.
The best leaders I have seen don’t just wait passively for circumstances to force them to react. They think proactively and act effectively before a change becomes too pressing. I have seen great leaders who communicate, consult with and involve their people in the development of change to ensure their understanding, buy in and commitment. This required them to take risks, be creative and courageous and be decisive. The words I would therefore associate with leadership are words such as having courage, giving responsibility to others, determining direction, and inspiring others.

As can be seen by the different words we associate with each role, the approach and the skills required by a leader are quite different from the skills of day to day management. For managers to graduate and become leaders takes time, patience, and the appropriate leadership development support.