A Manager is not a Leader
Now that we’ve explored what leadership is, and what qualities make a good leader, I’d like to take a bit of a detour to point out an often misunderstood principle – being a good manager does not necessarily make you a good leader.
When I talk about managers, I’m not referring to an actual position but rather an attitude and skill set displayed by the person in question. A manager is a person that often has been identified as having leadership potential and is given an opportunity to become a leader. The manager though, will take her potential and start to manage – manage their team, manage both mundane and complex situations, and manage individuals. As good as they can be, a manager can never seem to become a leader.
Why is that? What is it about certain people that make them great managers, but poor leaders?
Quite simply, managers lack a single quality out of the five identified qualities of a leader. In most cases, they lack not just learned experience, but the base talent itself. Which quality is lacking? It should be obvious: managers lack vision.
Why Vision is Key
The manager lives by the motto that they are doing their job to perfection if nobody notices their existence. Often, their smooth running teams can basically run themselves. Leaders, on the other hand, are noticed by all. They are the first to suggest new courses of action. They are front and centre when a challenge arises. They are the key players in any organization.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that leaders are in love with the limelight, however. What it does mean is that leaders tend to do things that get them, and their teams noticed. Leaders are attracted to change, they want to find the best possible way to do things. As leaders are constantly learning, they believe that there is always room to improve teams, processes and action plans.
Conversely, managers view change with apprehension, if not contempt. They prefer the comfort of their well established and well oiled machines, and do their best to avoid being put in a situation that could prove risky.
Are You a Manager?
Managers are the gatekeepers of chaos, but their ability to lead is hampered by their inability to forecast and predict future events. They react instead of seeking initiative, and are best suited to roles that call for a great deal of organization with little change. Good managers are an indispensable asset to any organization.
The problem is that good managers make poor leaders. Managers, not fully realizing their skills often find themselves in a position where they are forced to lead. Feeling that they would be viewed as failures, they accept roles that are a poor match for them. In doing this they end up causing more harm than good.
The easiest way to determine if you are more of a manager than a leader is to examine your views on change. Does change bother you? Do you find yourself stressed by situations where you are asked to make a call without all the information? Does it bother you when you are forced to re-evaluate the situation when new information surfaces? Answer yes to these, and there is a high likelihood that you are a manager. As a manager, you have a better chance of success in avoiding direct leadership roles.
Managers and Leaders are Separate but Equal.
Regardless of whether you are inclined to be a manager or a leader, the four basic qualities previously discussed will be shared. Managers will lack vision, but they will still be more than capable of being effective team builders, getting the job done and being an important part of an organization’s operations.
So what’s the difference? Why is it that some people are able to lead with vision while others divert to being managers? The answer is that some of us are simply born to lead, and nothing can change that. Check out why leaders are born, not made next in the Leadership Primer.
