Leadership Vs Management - A Case Of Mistaken Identity

Equating management with leadership can be comparable to a case of mistaken identity. Aquiring a promotion, a specific position, or even a highly regarded degree won't designate an individual a leader. For anyone serious about developing a successful business, increasing leadership skills is of critical importance. With my background in management, and years of leadership study, I am sharing with you my knowledge related to leadership vs management. Management I got my initiation at the ripe old age of twenty-one, earning a promotion to General Manager in the hotel business. Even though I had earned a position of clout, I didn't know the first thing about leading people. To me, sporting that name was more about control. The individuals in my company had to go along with what I told them, since their salary depended on it. A widespread misunderstanding is the belief that individuals with authority are influential . That is not leadership. Managing is merely maintaining systems, whereas leading, means you can move people in a particular direction with their willing involvement. In my position, I may have had authority, but I had very little influence. In other words, people were not following me out of trust and respect, they basically did their job out of necessity. I had no understanding of leading with vision, connecting with people, or how to really influence a group of people without the underlying job dependence tactics. The fact is, you can't lead people successfully, if they don't trust you. With a typical corporate structure, it isn't common to see staff members fully trusting management, or feeling like the company is considering their benefit. It is easy for management to perceive they are leading, because people are listening to them, when in reality, they are merely adhering to policy, because their livelihood is at stake. Leadership Distinction My eyes were opened when I began my study of leadership. If you've ever had an "aha" moment, you can relate to my revelation. It was funny, because I also thought of all the people I had worked for, that could use that same material, since it was obvious they didn’t understand the difference between leadership vs management either. John C. Maxwell states “leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.” If you want to find out if you are a leader, try to implement change and move in a new direction. You’ll observe in a hurry, whether or not you have true influence. Position and authority have very little to do with leadership. Managing teams equates to a maintenance mode, basically meaning you are not moving ahead, however, leading teams can drastically enlarge your return, by multiplying efforts. In order to be successful, leadership skills are crucial; following you'll find three factors vital to leadership growth: Character. Character to me, represents integrity. A leader with good character demonstrates consistency, and faithfulness. You must live up to your expectations. To build rock-solid character, you become a person that others unquestionably know they can rely on every time, not just once in a while. Faithfulness in reference to character means you are steady, persistent, and committed, no matter what problems you are faced with. Good character is essential to leading people, because without it, people won't believe in you as a leader. rnConnection. Relationship building is key. Most people would rather work with or follow someone when a friendship exists. In order to foster relationships, you need to let people see your heart, and be sincerely interested in other people. Would you rather follow a person who is absorbed in their agenda and the bottom line, or a person who you sense has your best interest at heart? The general rule in making real connections is to be a giver, not a taker. To truly show your team your heart, worry less about the impression, and focus more on your consistent day to day activity. It is not what you do or say once in a while that matters, it is what we do consistently that shapes our lives and relationships. rnCredibility. This can be summed up with experience, knowledge, and ability. Confidence comes from competence, so to lead confidently you need to gain experience, and you can only do that from being in the trenches and working with your team. Building your credibility will demand a devotion to continual improvement in your craft. Your team will do what you do, not what you say. The fact is, if you can’t deliver, people won’t follow you. Lasting success is determined by your decision to choose between leadership vs management. Becoming a strong leader takes time. If you desire to develop greater influence, and grow your business, establish a leadership growth strategy. Determine the books you will read, the audios you will listen to, and commit to it every day. Consider this your leadership development goals, including each article with completion dates. Remember, it won’t happen immediately; developing strong leadership skills will command a dedication to continual growth. Lastly, know that absorbing information won't transform anything, results occur when you put what you are learning into practice..