We all have leadership roles in life.
Most of us have multiple roles where we need to set a direction
and mobilize people towards it - both at work and outside.
I am lucky enough to have met a few born leaders. Of the thousands
of people I have met in my life, I can count those who were born
great leaders on the fingers of one hand. For the rest of us leadership
is something that we have to learn if we want to become good at
it.
Most of us are so occupied by the hurly burly of day to day existence
that we rarely find time to look at the bigger picture to plan
for more than the next few months, or to think about what lies
behind the resistance that we so often seem to encounter in others
and which frustrates us in achieving what we are trying to do.
How many of us can honestly say that we are sufficiently clear
about where we are trying to get to (personally or professionally)
or sufficiently skillful at understanding and motivating the others
who we want to take to that destination? Don't we all need to?
So what's the difference between
managing and leading?
I have read lots of books on leadership and been lucky enough
to hear many of the gurus speak about it. Whilst they all have
something to add to the subject, I think that consultants and academics
make it much more complicated than it needs to be.
It seems to me that the difference between the management and
leadership is pretty simple.
Management is fundamentally about doing the things which maintain
and evolve the continuing operation of an organisation. It is concerned
primarily with processes for the management of people and money.
For money the main processes include activities like budgeting,
targeting and monitoring and for people they include things like
performance management, absence management, discipline and grievance,
recruitment etc.
Best practice exists for most processes and so they are best learned
through training followed by practice and on the job support. You
can be a better manager by simply learning to do things the 'right'
way.
Leadership is concerned almost exclusively with just two things;
setting direction and mobilizing people towards it. As such it
builds on the continuing operation of an organisation and helps
it to change.
These changes are needed for many reasons and take many forms
which is why formulas or processes are generally of less help.
Instead, leadership is dependent on all sorts of personal qualities
like moral courage, vision, discipline and the ability to build
relationships and to motivate people.
There are as many different leadership styles as there are leaders
- there is no 'right' way. Every leadership situation is also different.
Because of this leadership is best learned through supporting people
to better understand and develop their own style in the context
of their own challenges. The best way to develop it, therefore,
is 'on the job' learning and the best way to accelerate this is
through coaching.
So how could I get better at leading? We are all developing as
leaders all the time and we do it mainly through trial and error.
What speeds this process up (and reduces the pain!) is the support
of key people around us. These are the people who care enough about
us to 'tell us how it really is' and whose opinions we value enough
to listen.
It's easy to spot your leadership supporters. They are the ones
who want you to become a more complete version of yourself rather
than better copies of them!
Some of us are fortunate enough to have colleagues, friends and
family who have the skill and patience to listen to us, help us
see what we are missing, expand our options and make our own decisions.
Increasingly though, the complexity of the challenges facing leaders
in organisations, and the lack of skilled support available to
them, are causing them to turn to expert leadership coaches.
Some ideas to take forward... Make yourself some time to reflect
on where you are trying to get to.
* What is the legacy you want to leave behind in your current
role?
* What contribution do you want to make to your family and friends?
* What is the job you want after the next one?
* Give some thought to who are your leadership supporters.
* Do they know that you see them this way?
* How can you get more of their support?
* What can you do in return?
About the Author:
Chris Henderson is founder and leader of Leadership Connections, a network
of associates who bring a variety of skills and experience to any project
requiring management, leadership or change management expertise. Chris
helps leaders and organisations pull forward together through a range of
coaching, mentoring and development services. He can be contacted via the
Leadership Connections website at www.leadershipconnections.co.uk
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