I have often been asked the difference between Leadership and Management; the terms are not synonymous and should never be used as such. Some will debate this issue, however I would challenge every business owner and so-called manager that wants to improve and grow either their department or their company to develop, practice and understand what true leadership is.
The word leadership simply means to lead, if you’re leading you are setting a course for others to follow and as you move in your chosen direction you are helping others through as they follow. As a Leader you are a servant. Andre Malraux once said, "To command is to serve, nothing more, nothing less." Well said, to command a team or lead a team is to serve your team, whether it be family, business, sports or spiritual.
Leadership is simple; however at times pride can get in the way and becomes an obstacle. But when those in command catch the spirit of serving and comprehend true leadership, they can move their team to uncountable victories, and that is true success. The late Ronald Reagan said that "...there is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit."
A real leader understands the difference between leadership and management and knows the true weakness of management. A true leader must lead, and through that leadership they will serve their people by supporting, encouraging and motivating them to be better then they themselves believe they can be. The leader will lead them in serving others to a greater level then they believed they could serve. A victorious team is a team of leaders and members serving one another in their journey and being fulfilled in their service to one another and their collective cause.
If you have or want to have a successful business, here is a secret. Your best followers will be your most effective leaders. Tiorio stated, “You will never be a leader unless you first learn to follow and be led.” A person will NEVER be a great leader if they cannot be a loyal submissive follower.
When you put new people in a leadership role, be sure to tell them that the rules have changed, don’t let them learn through shock and awe? It's a different view from here, you may have had them once managing processes, now you want them to lead people. Being able to deal with techniques and processes is worlds apart from dealing with temperaments and attitudes, because no one really cares what you say, they now care what you do.
You can't tell people what to do anymore, you have to influence their direction and assist them in achieving collective goals. You do not command anyone anymore; you win the team over to your point of view, through inspiration and direction. Your experience does not matter anymore, it’s not what you did yesterday that moves a team, it’s who you are and how you are leading them today that brings acceptance, discipline and results.
The business world is a different field of battle today than it was only five and ten years ago, where management pushed people to succeed, even if it broke them. Today, after years of high-pressure management it's clear that if you have a winning team or company it is because of focused leadership. If your company is struggling, leadership is the majority of your challenge. That does not mean that the company is challenged from the top down; even a small department can have a dramatic impact on the whole.
Listen closely and you will hear a sound, it's the sound of the market shifting yet again. Without real effective leadership you'll never make the curve to maintain your edge in the market.
Author Resource:-
About the Author, Darren B. Oliver: Mr. Oliver is President and CEO of AmCorp Management, Inc. and has appeared on Bloomberg TV and Business Briefs with Walter Cronkite. His businesses and articles have been written up in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Success, Entrepreneur, Money and other national publications. In 2002, Mr. Oliver received the honor of being named Colorado Business Man of the Year. Thousands of clients have benefited from this information, get his new book “Who’s In Your Pocket”,
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