Are You A Leader-Manager? (page 2)
John Kotter, a retired professor of organizational behavior at Harvard Business School in Boston, says, “Leaders don’t make plans; they don’t solve problems; they don’t even organize people. What leaders really do is prepare organizations for change and help them cope as they struggle through it. He wrote a book on the subject in 1990 titled, What Leaders Really Do.
Great leaders are rare because not everyone can be good at both leading and managing. Some people have the capacity to become excellent managers but not strong leaders. Others have great leadership potential but, for a variety of reasons, have great difficulty becoming strong managers. Smart companies understand and value both kinds of people and work hard to balance the team.
After years of argument, Americas top business schools understand the need to develop leader-managers going forward. Once companies begin to cognitively recognize the difference between leadership and management, they can begin to groom their top people to provide both.
Case in point: Just suppose that your sales organization has declining results for the past three quarters.
Managers tend to stick out their chests and hold people accountable. Driven by fear and frustration, they may turn into a bully of sorts. They invent new ways to measure sales results. They may create a new sales process. They may revise the sales compensation and reward programs. In an effort to create a sense of urgency, they may appear panic-stricken, creating an even greater distraction from effective sales behavior.
Leaders engage sales people one on one and attempt to sort out the real issues from the excuses. They seek information and understanding expeditiously. They temporarily make people feel better because they listen and care. What are the action items?
Leader-Managers may do some or all of the things listed above, or they may do something else entirely. The value is in decisions based on a true understanding of the issues and the people; and then managing to a specific outcome. Communication and authenticity are key elements of the successful leader-manager.
Focus on these things:
What do we want them to know?
How do we want them to feel?
What do we want them to do?
How will we measure results and celebrate?
Think in terms of simplification.
Expect great things to happen.
Who’s right doesn’t matter when you focus on what’s right.
Clearly, it takes more time and energy to be a leader-manager, and the results are well worth the investment. Leader-managers are Magis thinkers.
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