Thursday, November 28, 2013
Three Differences Between Managers and Leaders
A young manager accosted me the other day. "I've been
reading all about leadership, have implemented several ideas, and think I'm
doing a good job at leading my team. How will I know when I've crossed over from
being a manager to a leader?" he wanted to know.
I didn't have a ready answer and it's a complicated issue,
so we decided to talk the next day. I thought long and hard, and came up with
three tests that will help you decide if you've made the shift from managing
people to leading them.
By contrast, leaders focus on creating value, saying:
"I'd like you to handle A while I deal with B." He or she generates
value over and above that which the team creates, and is as much a
value-creator as his or her followers are. Leading by example and leading by
enabling people are the hallmarks of action-based leadership.
Circles of Influence vs Circles of Power. Just as managers
have subordinates and leaders have followers, managers create circles of power
while leaders create circles of influence.
The quickest way to figure out which of the two you're doing
is to count the number of people outside your reporting hierarchy who come to
you for advice. The more that do, the more likely it is that you are perceived
to be a leader.
Leading People vs Managing
Work. Management consists of controlling a group or a set of entities to
accomplish a goal. Leadership refers to an individual's ability to influence,
motivate, and enable others to contribute toward organizational success.
Influence and inspiration separate leaders from managers, not power and
control.
In India, M.K. Gandhi inspired millions of people to fight
for their rights, and he walked shoulder to shoulder with them so India could
achieve independence in 1947. His vision became everyone's dream and ensured
that the country's push for independence was unstoppable. The world needs
leaders like him who can think beyond problems, have a vision, and inspire
people to convert challenges into opportunities, a step at a time.
I encouraged my colleague to put this theory to the test by
inviting his team-mates for chats. When they stop discussing the tasks at hand
and talk about vision, purpose, and aspirations instead, that's when you will
know you have become a leader.
Agree?
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