A Short Business Essay: My Two Favorite Leadership and Management Expressions

It’s been said that, "A good leader needs to have a compass in his head and a magnet in his heart."

This is my all-time favorite leadership expression.

Pragmatically speaking, and of course by definition, leaders must have followers. Here follows a comparison/contrast:

• Granted, some leaders have followers only because of their authoritarian power—meaning that followers have no other choice but to follow. This type of leader may also have to constantly watch his or her back. 
• By contrast, you will find that truly effective leaders have followers based on their visionary, influential and inspirational or motivational abilities. Their followers voluntarily follow and of their own free will. In the workplace, this type of leader is usually rewarded by loyal, trusted and results-oriented employees.

It’s also been said that, "A boss says, "Go!" and a leader says, "Let’s go!"

Although possibly an over-simplification, I think this expression also speaks volumes about leadership. Here follows a comparison/contrast:

• Caution, if your managers are constantly telling employees what to do, this could be a warning sign. Or, even worse, if your managers are bullying types, resorting to figuratively hitting their people over the head with a hammer, you will find them at a distinct disadvantage. Not only is everyone involved likely to burn out, you will also see employees running out the doors at the first opportunity. 
• By contrast, servant-leader type managers leave their egos at the front door; and, they roll up their sleeves and show—rather than just tell—employees how to be high performers. These managers set the tone and realize that employees’ hearts and minds cannot be engaged through bullying tactics. These type leaders not only keep a big picture focus; they also understand the importance of enthusing others to follow their vision.

As a closing thought about the topic of leadership versus management, consider this question:

Do managers lead inventories, financial statements or operating expenses?

The answer is, obviously, they do not.

Business operations are managed, not led. So although managers and employees are inter-related and connected, managers should not monitor employee progress or approach employees as they do their inventories or other business operations.

This is not to say, however, that managers should neglect setting high expectations or shy away from stretching their employees to achieve more. The truly successful leaders know how to inspire employees so they can achieve more than they themselves ever possibly imagined.

And, effective leader-managers also hold employees accountable.

Why is it important that business owners understand the differences?

Part of the answer lies in this distinction: Management is about processes and functions; whereas, leadership is about relationships and energizing others.

Whether you are a small-business owner, a small-business manager or an entrepreneur, you probably intuitively know that your employees ‘are the ones.’

Point blank: Employees are the ones who will help you achieve results and success.

Make sure your managers are also leaders, and you will find no comparison in the extraordinary results you can achieve!

Related reading:

The Best Managers Also Lead

Servant Leadership at Work

A Leadership Call to Action

Do your managers lead by a compass in their head and a magnet in their heart?