Workplaces that work require both leaders and managers. Here’s how to tell the difference
ningcontentToday’s job market may feel a bit like Dr. Dolittle’s fantastical trip to Africa, with odd creatures popping up along the journey, but the reality is the “workplace that works” hasn’t changed as much as some might think. Fantasy aside, it’s still pulled by leaders and pushed by managers. It takes both.
The “pushmi-pullyu” in Dr. Dolittle’s great adventure was a two-headed antelope who got nowhere because one head pulled and the other pushed. Both wanted to lead; neither would follow. Fun in a children’s book; disaster in the workplace.
In these tighter times, corporations can’t afford to discover on the job whether an executive will be a leader or a manager. The pressure is on for HR generalists and hiring managers to put the peg into the proper hole immediately, so the process perks from the get-go. Fortunately for jobseekers, there’s a need for both: determined to get-it-done managers and leap-to-a-new-level leaders.
Hearts and Minds
Management and leadership are not the same thing. Related, yes. Overlapping, of course. Co-dependent, certainly.
“Leadership is about capturing hearts and minds. You are a leader when people choose to follow you,” says Joel Cheesman of Cheezhead. Cheesman says people buying into an effort, a vision or an idea because of its merit is very different from buying into it because someone is “the boss” He also says, “if you have ever used the word ‘subordinate’ to describe a person you work with, you are not a leader.”
Managers are those hearts and minds the leader captures; not subordinates, but team members providing fuel and stability for the rocket. A good manager yearns to be “captured,” to take the challenging vision, rein it in to just within reason and rack up an achievement shared with the leader who then feels quite comfortable to keep on leading. No “pushmi-pullyu” organization here.
The defining line between leadership and management is the contrast between stability and vision. The manager keeps everything stable while the leader projects a new vision. Does this mean the leader is not interested in stability? Of course not. Without it, he can’t lead. Does this mean the manager just wants a quiet, stable workplace? Of course not. Without a new vision, he has nothing challenging to manage. Working together, they keep the organization grounded and moving forward, which avoids stagnation.
“Good leaders keep teams of employees motivated and engaged. Those teams make up the organization. It’s been well documented that employees leave because of bad leadership, and bad leadership affects the company’s bottom line,” points out Kevin Grossman of HR Marketer.
Know Yourself
Are you more into finding answers to existing problems? Managers do that.
Are you more into posing “what ifs?” and “what nexts?” Sounds like a leader.
Do you get into the details of “what, how, when and where?” Good management.
Do you ponder “where next?” and “why not us?” Lead on.
In the best sense, the manager tempers the leader’s flights of fancy, while the leader prevents the manager from getting just a little too comfortable.
Whether you’re walking the career path yourself right now, or, as an HR generalist, perusing the pathwalkers to find the perfect fit for a company, this is a “know thyself” moment in time.
As a jobseeker, know whether your temperament is more to manage or more to lead. Identify your own strengths. Once you do that, you can build on them. Most importantly, clearly identified strengths can be better projected . . . and that’s attractive, which can make all the difference in today’s competitive environment.
Article by, Thom and courtesy of RiseSmart.com – RiseSmart: Search Smarter. Rise Faster.
