My bet? 99% of the people out there haven’t given this a thought. Those that have? Did you really? I challenge you to bring it – bring your best thinking and writing to this post’s comments. Right now I disagree with everything I have read. Everything. Want to know why?Here’s why – the typical leadership books pigeon hole people in their roles. Pigeon holing is de-motivating, causes people to not wish to move forward or do better. Further, people read these books and accept their premises without thinking. Where the hell did individual thinking go? As you can tell, I am embarking on an adventure to see if people really think anymore. Hard to tell.
I originally posed this question my my FaceBook page and it caused some genuine comments, which I hope will be repeated here by their authors. I have invited them to do so.
So, bring it and bring it all – you can quote others if you wish, but make sure you agree with them first. After a few comments are posted I will let you know more of my thought s on this matter.
If you want help as a manager or to support a manager or supervisor, we should talk. Call me at 925.757.7473 or contact me here.
Bart Gragg
Blue Collar University® – It’s What’s Above The Collar That Counts!
New manager and supervisor training and orientation programs.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
@Cherry! WooHoo! You said it! At all levels we need both management and leadership. And believe me, if you don’t think there are “leaders” below the executive level – think again. One very common example is the rabble rouser. They’ll lead the entire crew off the cliff and you will watch them do it.
There are people that tend to have skill sets that lean one way or the other, but if you are truly on the org chart as a leader or a manager, you had better have the skills for both.
Now, what’s my next topic that gets people crankin?
A simple man? Somehow I doubt it. But to your question and my opinion – I agree with David and Darrell about, what I’d call, textbook definitions of the difference between managers and leaders. What I find unfortunate is that the words manager and leader have been used to refer to positions as if the role expectations are mutually exclusive. As Darrell said “the best managers have strong leadership skills”, as I think they ought to, even if their sphere of influence is smaller than the VP-leader or CEO-leader. I also think that those in higher positions who we commonly think of as leaders need some level of management skills as well as leadership skills. Sadly individuals at the top don’t always have great leadership skills. One thing a good leader needs is a direct and clear communication style & I think that I did not exemplify that here. A bit circuitous of a response on my part.
Good questions Bart. And I do like the quote Manage yourself, lead others.
Let’s break this down a little though. For me, a simple man of the earth, dirt, barnyard, whatever, there has to be some commonality between the leader and the manager, right?
Good stuff guys.
@Darrell – I like the managers = “man-agers” You did finally hit one of the marks I am thinking of, and that is managers must have some form of leadership, even if it is usually at gunpoint. But, the paradox is, often leaders lead by gunpoint.
Right on with the remarks about how the leader can occupy any position in a company.
And that leaders can have whole organization influence, including the screw-off in the warehouse.
@Charles – good quotes to keep in mind.
@Dave – good descriptions as well.
This is not deep thinking, but I have always tried to pay attention to two, perhaps trite, quotes:
1) “Manage yourself; lead others” – Anon?
2) “There go my people, I must find out where they are going so I can lead them.” – Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin.
In my experience the best leaders stay out of the way (and can often be invisible), let others take the credit, and are also great followers in the right situations.
On a similar note, Leadership is Influence and Management is Regulatory. Leaders encourage you to do what needs to get done to the best of your ability using your God given skills and gifts. Managers ensure what you do follows the rule book with no unauthorized deviations from the norm. Leaders are self-driven and lead others to be. Managers are typically others-driven, and manage others to be dependent on others (usually the manager).
Leaders can paint a picture, that “vision thing”.
Managers typically don’t. They’re hopelessly pragmatic.
Managers = man agers.
I’ve been working in the business world for 32 years and have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration plus countless hours of “management” training and “leadership” training.
My experience is that Leaders tend to have whole organizational influence. No matter their role or placement in the company – they affect the company. Managers tend to have group influence – only those they directly interface and maybe a few more.
It is also true that the best managers have strong leadership skills, but not always the other way around. Great leaders surround themselves with these managers because they have skills to both carry the torch and get the job done.
A leader is someone you follow…….a manager is someone who assigns tasks for you to do.
A leader inspires you to take action for a cause….ALL of you is working…. A manager babysits you to make sure you do your work, cause you are half working.
A leader pays you in praise…. a manager pays you with a performance evaluation.