The best at either are both
Your position does not make you a leader.
That statement holds true despite recognizing people look to managers for leadership. The disconnect between the ability or desire of the manager to lead and in the expectations of employees is a main reason companies have dissatisfied workers and a disconnect between employees and the executive board.
Are you leading your people? Are you capable of doing so? It all leads back to honest personal evaluation.
I believe leaders are both born and made. Great leaders are intentional about continuous self-improvement even if they believe themselves to be in the former category. Talent alone only takes you so far. Alternatively, lack of natural talent does not preclude someone from being a leader.
Either way, believing your title magically makes you a good leader can stall or even end your journey. If you hold that belief and have reached the management pinnacle of your career, it probably means few others respect you.
Managers are essential. We are needed at all levels to keep organizations going. We manage and direct daily tasks within process to deliver quality products and services to customers.
All managers must lead. We especially need more leaders in middle management who support peers, balance risk, and align to the organizations needs despite competing priorities, interests, and personalities of their own business units.
Leaders must be out in front. Senior or executive managers must remember it is not enough for us to manage or to focus on shareholders or taxpayers or customers. We must at least equally focus on our people. It is foolish to believe we are leading well by virtue of the title we or others bestow on us.
With integrity, senior managers must set direction, establish vision and strategy, and walk the talk they talk. We must continue to mentor and sponsor, take time off and encourage others to do so, and build real relationships outside of the executive board. Most of all we must put aside ego, break down silos, and operate as a team to drive organizational success.
Do you want to be a manager or a leader? If you seek to rise to the top of your organization with the respect of others you must be both.
Employees deserve it.
The organization needs it.
Leadership is not about self. It’s about the whole. It’s about choosing what’s right for the company even if it’s not your preference or idea.
- Learn and apply a new skill
- Craft or hone your leadership style
- Build real relationships with others
- Take interest in your employee’s well being
- Develop trust with your teams
It takes work. It takes time.
However, it is imperative if you desire to truly transform from manager to leader. I guarantee the results will exceed your expectations.