Secret Nr. 8: More leadership less management
When I talk to people about leadership, I often find a confusion about the difference between leadership and management and therefore it is useful to look at the significant differences:
- Leadership concentrates on the right things. It focuses on effectivity, on people, trust, long term thinking, development, and the challenging of the status quo.
- Management concentrates on doing things right and quickly. If focuses on efficiency, on projects, control, short term thinking, maintenance, and the acceptance of the status quo.
Both concepts are important. However, in a non-linear, globalized, non-predictable world, like we encounter today, we can’t control as much as we want to, and it’s hard to maintain the status quo in a fast moving world. Therefore management is a hard job not leading to the results we want. More leadership however leads to more self-responsible and better employees that can deal with change and are constantly looking for better solutions and progress.
More leadership also means answers to the following questions:
- How can we empower our employees?
- How can we use diversity as a resource?
- How can we develop clear rules and formal arrangements that give security but also help to encounter and deal with a fast moving and changing world?
- How can we design processes effectively and not only efficiently?
- How do I have to act/to be/to behave as a role model?
Do the right thing – and then do it right – not vice versa!
All the best
Dominik Godat
References: Roehrig Peter (2006) Advanced training for basic leadership skills, in Korn/Lueger: Solution-Focused Management
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Check our online webinar about solution focused leadership: “Solution Focused Leadership – introduction for leaders”-Workshop – with Dominik Godat
Dominick , I rarely comment on line ,however I dont’ see how you can separate the two…. leadership is not possible without management and viceversa,these are not mere words.. they are the essence,they project everything,unless you curtail the actions of both ,only to specifics , than the leader becomes subservient to the manager and viceversa….
I cant see any secrets at all, unless you are offering an opinion for which some good soul expects to be charged a handsome fee, than the secret will grow in your own mind and assume gigantic dimensions….these last four lines contain a secret I bet you know it!
Thank you Boris for your comment. I agree with you that both is necessary. In my work as coach however, I often see managers that try to control everything and focus their energy on objects, projects, etc. The result usually is that their employees can’t tackle change and that the managers need help sooner or later. Leaders however that focus on people, trust, and manage to empower their employees are usually much more successful in todays non-linear and fast moving world.
In today fast world manager must be a leader if he want to success, however he can’t be a leader only if someone choose him to lead,
I do agree that managers that i see are focus more in projects and least in employees. it’s will take some time for reall change.