Good managers are important in any organization. This usually leads to recognition and talented managers are often promoted into leadership roles. The problem is the skills that make a manager great are necessary but not sufficient to make leaders great. For a manager to become a good leader, he or she has to understand the differences between managing and leading, and develop new skills to thrive in a new role. This key distinction between managing and leading does not get enough attention!
What’s the Difference?
To paraphrase Warren Bennis, it’s a manager’s job to make sure things are done right; it’s a leader’s job to make sure the organization is doing the right things. The difference is that managing is focused on the immediate, day-to-day operation of the organization. A manager’s priority is making sure the organization provides its goods and services effectively and efficiently. Leading, meanwhile, is focused on moving the organization forward. A leader’s job is to be forward looking, anticipating where the market is going and providing direction for the organization. A leader makes sure the organization has the direction and resources both to thrive in the face of the challenges and uncertainties of the future.
How To Successfully Make The Transition From Manager to Leader
Nothing derails a career like an unsuccessful transition from manager to leader. Continuing to be a great manager will eventually get noticed for what it is: insufficient leadership. It’s very easy for a new leader to keep doing what they have always done—after all, that’s what they are good at and what got them promoted! Many new leaders haven’t even considered what it means to lead, or even that the organization needs something more from them.
Importance of Awareness
The first step is awareness. New leaders need to recognize that they need to make changes, and start asking questions about what they need to do differently. It means leaving behind old ways of doing things and learning about leadership. Being a leader means developing an organization that can produce the desired results without the leader having to oversee all their activities.. If you are not getting the results you want, or are finding you spend all your time overseeing the work of your group, it’s time to reflect on what you are doing, and what you can do differently. Seek out successful leaders in your organization and ask for help. Don’t settle for doing what worked before, because it won’t work anymore.
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David Swain, BSc Mgmt., MSOD, CEC, PCC with over 30 years’ experience in both coaching the leaders of large organizations and leading them himself.
