I believe this is true. One must focus on the strenghths and use those to diminish the weaknesses. A leader will enable workers to focus on these strengths to obtain goals. The manager role will encourage organization and the steps necessary to be successful.
I think it would be too overwhelming, as well leave a vulnerability to making mistakes when trying to be both manger and leader in any situation.
Every worker that you deal with has his or her own strengths and weaknesses and it is up to you to assess them and encourage them to embrace their strengths and help channel some of those strengths to work on their weaknesses. As a leader, you have to know when to lead your staff and when it is time to manage them. You may have to be the one that day that helps them get refocused on the goal or revisit some of the steps in achieving it. Perhaps you need to inspire them somehow, to bring them back into the vision.
Yes you can be both. The decision to lead or manage is based on the situation and the goal. Leaders deal with the energy and spirit of the team and task while managers deal with the operations, roles, and functions.
You can certainly be both a manager and a leader. Some situations require both.
I think that you can be both as long as you are always aware of what role you are playing and when each role needs to be utilized.
I particularly like what you said here. I also am a manager when tasks need to be done within a set time frame and need to be efficiently. I like to believe that I lead by example and show my team how to reach goals. It is vitally important to have the appropriate mix of both management and leadership.
In my opinion most people that are in a position of supervising others have a natural leaning one way or the other. I am not sure that managers and leaders think out of the same mind even though have a common goal. That being said, if you know which one that you do by instinct there is no reason why you cannot train yourself to learn the other.
I completely agree with Richard. I think any employee or follower needs a good mix of leadership and management from their direct Supervisor. Management is required for the day to day activities but leadership kind of keeps your eye on the end result and the big picture.
One person can either be a leader or manager and wear many hats depending on the function of their job. People skills I believe is number 1 because with out it no one would see a manager as approachable. I have come into contact with many leaders and managers who were very abrasive with the staff to the point where they were fired from the position by the president. Unfortunatlely, from what I have experienced the managers and leaders that I have come in contact with were hired through nepotism and not for their managerial skills.
It is very hard to be a leader and a manager at the same time! Leadership is a gift. Management is a skill. There are so many schools of management. Yet, the only school of leadership is a life.
Richard,
Thank you for your insights. It can be difficult to be a leader when you're bogged down in the day to day tasks that it takes to achieve your goal. Effectively managing your team means that you can oversee what they are doing daily to work toward the goal. Knowing when to trust your resources to accomplish the goal and continue to generate new ideas to push your team to greatness is an imnportant part of leadership.
Shannon Gormley
You can and should be both a manager and a leader. Knowing when to do each is the key. If a team is bogging down you need to lead with fresh ideas and thoughts. Managing a team is to keep all members involved and focused.
I believe it depends on the situation. You have to manage and put out fires addressing immediate needs while keeping the leader role continuously running in the background.
That's exactly what I was referring to. Someone with a strong leaderships skills to provide the vision as well as having high level management skills will help our school and industry navigate through the change we are going through.
Mark, that is a great point. Yes, our industry is going through some changes right now and it sounds like you see someone with both skill sets as being a great role model in times like these. Do I have that right? Great job!
Shannon Gormley
Much like the group has indicated, it's important to be both depending on the situation. As our industry is going through some changes, it's important that we provide the necessary leadership for our staff to navigate through these changes while at the same time providing strong management oversight to ensure that we are on the right path.
brian,
Excellent observations. In order to move forward and meet or exceed the set expectations, a combination of both leadership and management skills will be used. It sounds like you do your best to keep your eye on the goal while monitoring progress and adjusting where you see fit. It sounds like this has been effective for you in your leadership style.
Shannon Gormley
I have found that many day-to-day situations require a blend of management and leadership vision. For example, sometimes old methods of accomplishing a goal require major improvements but those changes can't happen immediately. If the incremental improvements can be applied with a strong view of the goals and new direction ahead, both managerial and leadership traits apply.
Thanks for sharing, Sandi. It sounds to me like you've got a solid hold on your leadership and management approaches in a variety of situations. I can also appreciate the fact that you recognize that your team members respond differently to change and can adjust your approach in a way to help empower them. Keep up the great work.
