Leadership and management – never the twain shall meet
Leadership and management are often used in the same context amongst many businesses when the reality is that the two are indeed very different and have very opposing attributes.
Simply put, a manager will use authority to ensure the work gets done, leaders will be the difference as to whether it’s done or done well.
Managers often do well to climb the corporate ladder, but when they reach the dizzy heights of the exec they often face a challenge, as good managers rarely have the same skill sets as good leaders.
Those thought provoking posters than don many a workplace corridor or office, taught us that ‘there is no ‘i’ in team’. Today’s leaders recognise that actually there is, and the ‘i’ indeed stands for the ‘individual’. Research has proven that employees that are recognised and invested in as individuals are ENGAGED, and engaged staff are the key to a business’s success.
Both leadership and management are essential to the others existence; without leadership, management cannot function.
To recognise this difference is to put yourself ahead of the competition by creating a motivated and engaged workforce that are led not managed.
To manage is to focus on the business today. Leadership focuses on tomorrows business.
So ‘never the twain shall meet’? Well not exactly, both do indeed meet in their need to communicate. Whether it’s the manager to the individual, team, region or the Leader to the managers, division or company, both will need to effectively communicate. It’s our passion to harness and nurture that communication in leaders so the end audience is an engaged and inspired one.
Any comments? Email sarah@mashmedia.net
