OS 018 - Stupid Leadership Traps #2: Managing vs Leading

Life is divided into three terms - that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present, to live better in the future. - William Wordsworth Profit is not about the money. This is leadership redefined. Read the transcripts at hughballoupodcast.com (http://hughballoupodcast.com) You manage things; you lead people. —Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper This (webkit-fake-url://3AF6D704-9AFB-4386-9F11-B125393E339B/Leading-vs-Managing-300x225.jpg) is a curious debate. Many in academia use management as the title for business leadership programs. For example, a well-known large university in my town offers a degree in management in the business school and allows for a minor in leadership, which is under the college of life sciences and agriculture. Fortunately, the professor leading that program understands leadership and knows how to apply it in a practical way. I don’t feel that a degree in management qualifies a person to lead an organization, a team, or a project. Its basis is in other areas. As Stephen Covey points out, we manage time and lead people…we manage money and lead people…we manage project implementation and lead people…we manage things and lead people. There is a distinct difference. Managing people fits an autocratic leadership style and not a transformational leadership style. It can be a form of overfunctioning. Top down leadership that is autocratic minimizes the synergy of the team. Here’s a simple chart of my thoughts on the differences: Topic Leader Manager Style Transformational Transactional Direction Engages Demands Conflict Addresses Avoids Risk Takes Minimizes Affirmations Gives Takes Concern Helps others to be right Being right Blame Neutralizes Blames others Energy Passion Control Power Influence Authority Focus