Leadership means thinking beyond the status quo, and expanding the boundaries that hold us back. Without them, we’d be stuck with the way things are, but we still have to deal with now. Management is about seeing to what has to be done today.
There’s a difference in emphasis. Managers ensure that immediate tasks are done, before thinking about how people will develop. Leaders want people to work on their development, and slot in what has to be done today.
There will always be areas where people perform less well than they could. It’s natural to prefer the areas where you’re good, and do more of that. That means you get more practice, and get better at those things. Meanwhile, the areas where you’re weak get left. It’s dispiriting doing things where you don’t succeed, so you tend not to do them, so you don’t practise, and don’t improve.
Strengths and weaknesses don’t collate with good and bad. It’s to do with what you do easily, and what is a strain. Some people have a broad-brush approach, and cover huge areas of responsibility. They buzz around, meet lots of people, and thrive with several projects on the go. They are usually, not always, weak when it comes to categorising what they do, and their lives may become a bit of a mystery to others. Other people thrive on detail. They keep meticulous records, with sub-categories and cross-references, and dream about new systems of classification. Their documents are a delight as a source of quick and detailed information. They know a lot, but on the average, they don’t like networking. They are the ones at the side of the room, who disappear with a book in the first hour.
There’s no such thing as a job where every moment is bliss. We all have to deal with tasks that are essential, but dull. Management keeps an eye on this, ensuring people don’t leave the boring bits. It’s about balancing the day. Leadership is different. It means balancing the team. As far as possible, people spend their time doing what they like doing. Those who like staying at the desk, stay there, and take on details for those who work in the world at large. Those who want to out there, take on the networking for those who are happy at the desk. Teams excel when everyone is working to their strengths.
People like doing well, and it makes them think of how they will do better in the future. In day-to-day management, these long-term aspirations belong in the future. There are things to be done now. In leadership, the future begins now, and now is the time to get on with it. Today is precious for new development.
The collective long-term aspiration is the mission. Good managers recognise that the team is stepping towards the mission every day, but they concentrate on the current workload, and ensure that it is completed on time. Leaders keep the long-term mission at the forefront. What happens today is integral to the long-term goals.
Management means focusing on tasks. There is room for personal needs, but there has to be a pragmatic approach to getting everything done. Leaders lend more weight to underlying issues, realising that what happens at home affects what happens at work. They don’t need to know details, but will give ongoing support, maybe by providing coaching, counselling, training, etc. This applies both to getting people through the bad times, and to promoting their maximum self-development.
Leaders want to know what it is that makes people tick. When they understand that at a deep level, they can use the knowledge to make the big scheme tick. They want to understand people who are different from themselves. Leaders tend to diverge from the norm – by definition. They are leading people away from the normal directions. They don’t expect others to follow blindly. They know from their own experience that taking a different view is a way to get started in a new direction. They welcome people who want to be different.
Leaders are forever on the lookout for good people, including people who are better than themselves. Leaders want to lead, not to do it all. They don’t wish to be the best performers, but to get the best performance from the best people. They seek to surround themselves with excellent people, and do not feel the need to be top dog.
Leadership centres on the people doing the work. Management centres on the work that people are doing. We need managers to attend to the minutiae that keep things running smoothly, both now, and when things change. This can get in the way of leadership. Leaders guide people through new ways to look at the world, new things to do, and new ways to do them. They know who will attend to details, so they don’t need to get bogged down themselves.
Management means keeping things on the straight and narrow and avoiding mistakes. Leaders dare to shift direction, and go for goals that make you gasp. They encourage people to be quirky, or even outrageous. When this happens, the team may get alarmed, shy away, and even disband. It takes good leadership to pull people together at these times, but when it works, it creates lasting bonds.
Going through a tough challenge, and triumphing, is one of the most powerful motivators. The motivation comes from the growing sense of achievement. Good leadership makes people want to succeed. Good management enables it to happen.
To find out more about how we can help with your people investment, please visit www.trans4mation.com or contact:
Nick Cotter
T: +44 (0) 870 606 4400
F: +44 (0) 870 606 4411
nick.cotter@trans4mation.com
PO Box 44
High Street
Evesham
Worcestershire
WR11 4ZJ
