Managment versus Leadership.

I left my last role, fundamentally because of a very questionable style of management. Not just from my immediate supervisor, but all the way up the chain right to the top.

Without going into too much detail the leadership style was (and probably still is, I'm just not there to see it!) controlling, restrictive, micro-manage-y and suffocating. It always felt like people would rather put their foot on your head to stop you achieving than help you up to the top.

Now I'm a smart person, and I know how much more effective I could have been and how much more I could have bought to the table if my skills had been nurtured, developed and utilised in the best possible way (not bragging here, just setting the scene!)

It baffled me why someone who had goals to kick would rather not take every available opportunity to meet them and use another person's skills to their advantage.

But hey ho, that's all in the past and isn't to be dwelt on. What is in my present however, is that I now own my own business and at some stage in the future, will have my own team. I've gained lots of management experience in various roles over the years and I always believed myself to be a good manager but when brushing up on my knowledge, I came across a Forbes article which really struck a chord with me.

You will notice that I've used the terms 'management' and 'leadership' interchangeably in the above text and that's genuinely because I didn't know there was a difference! This article however highlights the differences between a manager and a leader - and this made me realise, in my last role I wasn't badly managed at all; I was just managed and not led.

Here are a few of the highlights from the article showing the difference between a manager and a leader.

Mission:
As a manger you mission is to run the team, run the operation and/or run a deprtment. A leader thinks the opposite - that a team will help you achieve everything that you will accomplish.

Self-Awareness:
A manager has no need to be self-aware and review their performance; as they're at the top of the chain, why do they need to? A leader is chooses to analyse themselves every day.

Trust:
A manager does not have a trustworthy relationship with their staff - they don't allow them to work on their own initiative, they get the job done by giving orders and setting targets and milestones. A leader has recruited their team-members for their skills and will use them to their advantage by actively encouraging them to make decisions and compelte tasks in the best way they see fit.

Two-way learning:
A manager cannot be taught by their staff - they are in their position because they are an expert in the field and with a lack of trust being evident, their team-members are unlikely to offer insight into their own experience. A leader is open to ideas, suggestions, collaboration opportunities and views each and every team-members experience as an opportunity to learn.

I've just summarised the article really briefly and I highly recommend you read it as there's lots more info in there which is really insightful.

Forbes - Manager versus Leader


My biggest takeaway is that while I was researching how to become a good manager, I learnt that I wanted to be a leader instead, because it's a leader that creates a successful business.

I'd love to know if anyone has any opinion, insight or experiences of their own on this subject?