Sometimes you read stuff and it fits so perfectly all you are left with is: “I wish I had said that.”
Just as I was preparing my next followup article on how to make yourself unnecessary Linked-In published this blog post. Since I couldn’t improve on it I will just share it.
If you are serious about empowering your staff to be more responsible and accountable you should print it out and post it where you will see it every day. As you read it here are some things you should think about:
- Are you acting more like a manager or a leader?
- What behaviors would cause your staff to take more responsibility?
- What behaviors discourage initiative?
- What behaviors create distrust and fear?
- What behaviors establish mutual respect?
The Difference Between Leaders and Managers
It’s time to face the music as a manager: You don’t always have all of the right answers. Your “it’s my way or the highway” approach to management isn’t going to encourage anyone to help you in your problem solving endeavors.
Managers and leaders are often referred to synonymously, but only leaders allow their employees to solve problems with their own insight. The truth of the matter is this: Every leader may not be a manager, but every manager should be a leader. It’s easy to see that leadership and management aren’t the same thing, but a manager who lacks effective leadership traits will drive a business into the ground faster than you can count to 10. Read More…
I have agued with people for years that a leader is different than a manager. While a being a really good manager requires some skill, many managers are just administrators with a little more authority that those they manage ( I am addressing the funeral business here). A leader on the other had really does….LEAD. He sets the direction, the culture, the tone of the business. He inspires others to want to follow him. He lifts others up sets goals and inspires others to be greater than they could be and to accomplish more they thought they could. It takes a rare owner or corporation to recognize a leader and to utilize their skills and talents…most are run off or fired because most managers, and owners fear them and their ideas.
Henry Ford, whatever you think of him, was an exceptional owner of a business because he set out to hire people smarter than himself to help grow his business. This pattern has been followed by successful business people for years who put together a “mastermind” group and surround themselves with the smartest people they can.
If you want your business to grow and move forward seek out that rare leader, you can always get managers by the gross.