The Manager/Leader Dichotomy

19Apr11

First off, for those of you who know me, you know that I am a Marine.  With that said, the use of a word like “Dichotomy” is a dangerous proposition, because there is a high probability that I will use it incorrectly.  Those of you who know me, also know that I don’t really care, it sounds cool and I will make it work.

I read a blog yesterday which pointed me to an article in the Wall Street Journal discussing the difference between Management and Leadership.  The most provocative portion of that article was from “On Becoming a Leader,” by Warren Bennis, which provided a comparison of Managers and Leaders:

• The manager administers; the leader innovates.
• The manager is a copy; the leader is an original.
• The manager maintains; the leader develops.
• The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people.
• The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust.
• The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective.
• The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.
• The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader’s eye is on the horizon.
• The manager imitates; the leader originates.
• The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.
• The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person.
• The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing.

By the way it doesn’t escape me that I saw a posting on twitter, that took me to the blog, that pointed to the WSJ who quoted a book from 1989 and now I am adding an additional layer on the path.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Bennis derived this list from some business titan from the early 1900′s.  OK, I digress…

The point of me sharing these comparisons is mainly to keep us all honest about who we are.  Some of us are natural managers and some of us are natural leaders, but that doesn’t mean we can bring the best of practices of both to bear in our every day lives.  When I rely too heavily on my natural tendency toward leadership, my business operations often suffer….similarly when the pendulum swings too far toward the management side my team and I often find ourselves disappointed with our solutions.

As a dichotomy, management and leadership are complements, they create the whole package.  One without the other may be successful, but something will be sacrificed.  We should strive for achieving the balance which fits best for our team.  I have strong project managers on my team, so I can delegate many of the management roles to them, this gives them a sense of purpose and allows me operate in my comfort zone.

Finding the right mix isn’t Rocket Surgery, but it does require some reflection and think-time.  Take a few moments and look over the bullets above and ask yourself where do you fall.  Then look at your team and see if you have the right mix of people to balance out your natural tendencies.

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Tags: Leadership, self reflection