Often combined, often confused, often misused is the best way to describe the relationship between Management and Leadership. Here is the problem for trainers: they aren’t the same thing. Training one is teaching nuts and bolts to a mechanic. One is more mechanic than engineer.
Ask yourself if it is better to have one leader or many in a single company? One leader, many managers? One manager, many leaders? One leader/manager and many leader/managers? Did we end up in the same place? I think that managers must be leaders in some ways in order to accomplish their specific mission, which, in turn, contributes to the company mission.
There are differences and similarities; there are times when the same person is both. Here is the big problem. Being the Boss often gives you the choice. Companies rise on the backs of leadership and falls on the backs of management when that leadership vision fails. If it is a vision shared by all company leaders, that makes a difference, doesn’t it.
You can lead a program or you can manage a program. I get the feeling the program that is being led is going someplace, and the one that is being managed is rather static. Now, I used semantics to make it more confusing. That was my point. Clearly there are differences and degrees of importance. Both are incredibly important to the company.
More importantly, I think we need to train leadership at all levels, not just the highest, not just those we call managers.
Now, it’s time to look at a definition. Encarta says a manager is the following:
- organizer of business: somebody who is responsible for directing and controlling the work and staff of a business, or of a department within it
- organizer of somebody’s business affairs: somebody who organizes and controls the business affairs of somebody such as a professional entertainer
- organizer of affairs of athlete: somebody who organizes and controls the training of an athlete or a sports team
- competent handler: somebody who handles or controls something, especially somebody who works skillfully
- compute program for basic computer operations: a computer program designed to carry out the basic functions of a computer’s operations
- student in charge of team’s equipment: a student who takes care of the equipment and records of a high school or college sports team under the supervision of a coach
Synonyms: boss, director, executive, administrator, supervisor, leader, chief, superior
Notice that leader is among the definitions. Now that definition, also from Encarta: (I have purposely left out some of the obvious that do not apply, i.e., a fishing leader.)
- somebody whom people follow: somebody who guides or directs others
- somebody or something in lead: somebody or something in front of all others, e.g. in a race or procession
- somebody in charge of others: the head of a nation, political party, legislative body, or military unit
- music musical conductor: a conductor of a band or group
- U.K. music principal musician: the principal performer of an orchestra or of a section of an orchestra
- U.K. press article expressing editorial opinion: a newspaper article expressing the opinion of the editor
Synonyms: guide, director, organizer, mentor, guru, adviser, front-runner, spearhead, leading light, trailblazer, ground-breaker, lead, forerunner,head, chief, manager, superior, principal, boss, supervisor, kingpin, top dog
Again, the synonyms often mingle with those of the managers. That tells me English speakers, at least, connect the two or see them as the same. That also means we often expect the same. We expect managers to lead or at least to have some measure of leadership. I also suspect a leader that has no management skills is not going to be as effective either.
The leaders, it seems, are always in front, with knowledge of where they are going, an idea of how to get there, and the first to go when the vision goes awry; while the managers are competent handlers of “things” and organizers, controlling work, controlling business affairs, and may I say, following the larger vision of someone else. So that is not to say the manager has no vision.
All along the production line, or service line, or however your organization is structured there is a hierarchy of authority. We expect those above us not to just echo the boss but to show some leadership. Leadership vision that trickles down through other leaders who reinforce with their own charisma and logic make that leadership at the top stronger and can make that vision work.
Yes, leadership is in the front, but at many levels. Each has a different training solution–the reason we are all here.
Remember, I don’t have the lock on ideas so if you disagree or just want to add a story or example, please comment. We’re all in this together.
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