Groups > Becoming A Great Manager & Leader

A manager manages; a leaders leads.

That could come across a bit snarky. It's not meant to.

But as you point out, there's the difference.

A manager's focus is on what is, today, right now, the task at hand, execution, tactical perhaps more so.

A leader's focus is on what could be, where they should be, when should they be there and bridging the gap between the manager's world of today vs the leaders world for tomorrow.

And a manager's role is to remind the leader..."great vision. Here's where we are. Don't forget. We're here, not...even a hundred yards up the road. Now show us how to get way up there."

The rest is details, really.

I think that managers measure, control and adjust while leaders provide guidance and vision.

Your last paragraph said it all. Oversimplifying? No. Simplicity is key to efficiency. It should be a corp value.

Many employees expect some signs of leadership in managers, though. They just expect that regardless of textbook definitions or company policy. If, for instance a plant manager sees something like debris lying in the floor and asks the first person she/he sees which happens to be across the entire building to go over and pick that up, I'm afraid shehe will not have the respect of the employee. The manager should have picked it up.

I can relate to the overwhelming task of attempting to lead a group of principals in a new direction. We began introducing a new "structure" for early intervention with four pilot schools last year. We had one school out of the four implement the structure with fidelity. My cohorts continue to assure me new ideas and structures take time. Be patient. Monitor the fidelity of the program on a regular basis. Celebrate your successes no matter how small. good luck,!

Leila,

A manager pushes and a leader has people follow. a manager uses a title - a leader uses influence. A leader has people manage themselves because they want to, a manager has to manage people because they don't want to do it themselves. A leader turns vision into reality, charts a course and helps others on the course. I recommend the books of John Maxwell -

Thanks, jimmy cafe.