Leadership Q&A - Helping leaders lead
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Leadership Q&A - Helping leaders lead
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  • Man with jet pack ready to sprint to a
    Why is my manager so focused on quick wins?
    November 19, 2018
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  • Thoughtful feedback is an important part of employee reviews
    How do I make the most of employee reviews?
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  • The Feedback Gap
    How can I make the most of my manager's feedback?
    November 5, 2018
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  • Which mask are you wearing?
    How do I deliver difficult messages without compromising my integrity?
    October 29, 2018
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  • Scaling the mountain - What kind of leader are you?
    Why does everyone want to be a manager?
    October 22, 2018
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Basics

Can I still be a leader if I don’t want to go into management?

September 10, 2018 by Brian Goodman 1 Comment
Management vs leaders on scales
READING TIME: 2 MIN

Q: Can I still be a leader if I don’t go into management?

A:

The simple answer is yes.

The challenge with this question is that we don’t know what being a leader means to you. And, yes, it matters!

What does being a leader mean to you?

There is a difference between being a leader and a manager, which is often at the root of this question. Organizations have structure and the larger they get the more they seem to have. Often people demonstrating leadership are offered management positions and this creates the impression that strong leaders end up managing people. In its own way, the organization is simply optimizing the effectiveness of those leaders, giving them people oversight to align the execution with the vision.

Leading without a formal team

There are two key aspects for leading without a formal team: influence and scope. Influence is the ability for the leader to move others with their vision. Scope is the breadth of their vision and in turn the number of people influenced. Managers enjoy “built in” scope and influence of their team, and leading managers broaden that scope just like non-managing leaders. The more senior the role, the more you find the need to be a manager.

Do I have to be a manager?

If you want to be an executive, you really can’t avoid management. If you are having trouble influencing or setting scope, then becoming a manager could answer those two questions. If you are an individual contributor, a senior leader without a team, but followed by like minds take stock in your current scope of influence and consider the scope you aspire to – either way, you are leading without being a manager.

So, a next logical question is, what does a leader that does not manage people directly look like? What behaviors make the stand out?

Three tools for all leaders

READ

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
by Charles Duhigg

USE

Leuchtturm1917
Medium Size
Hardcover A5 Notebook

Dotted Pages
The best journal made

READ

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
by David Allen

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Basics

What is the difference between a leader and a manager?

September 3, 2018 by Brian Goodman 1 Comment
Managers represent the organizational structure, while leaders transcend the organization.
READING TIME: 3 MIN

Q: What is the difference between a leader and a manager

A:

Leaders

Leaders influence people by creating and communicating a compelling vision contrasting how it is with how it could be. Some leaders do this without “power” which is to say they do not have people working for them directly like a manager. Instead, leaders need to influence people into believing a shared vision of what could be and then help point the direction on how to realize it.

Managers

Managers are a special kind of leader. Managers are often seen as an extension of human resources and this is a limiting view. Managers should be leaders first and HR process second.

Why the confusion

Articles like this one in Forbes does a disservice to leaders and managers as it perpetuates stereotypes that they exist on a continuum. Even the Harvard Business Review published similar content, mostly I presume because they are advocating that you ought to aspire to be a leader, as if the c-suite isn’t filled with leaders that are also managers? If you Google leadership vs. manager, you will find more of this kind of polarization. The takeaway should be that it is possible to be a manager and not be a leader and we can point at those examples and fault them, while leaders are always great, which is obviously not true.

What we can agree on is that anyone can be a leader and develop their leadership capabilities. Managers should be leaders, or it is a missed opportunity for everyone involved—the leader, their people, their peers, their management team. You see, managers get the privilege of representing the Company to their people, particularly first line managers. That face of the Company makes more difference to that individual than the CEO will ever. The responsibility is actually considerable in this light. When a manager leads their team, the HR aspects greatly simplify, because you are never making people do work, you are not punching the clock, checking the lists or processing email and meetings.

Actions that change everything

 

If you are a leader

  • Don’t shy away from management because pop culture paints it as something different
  • Find managers that are leading and amplify their contribution
  • Find managers that are not leading and coach them differently—things won’t change and one of the best things leaders do is multiply and grow people

If you are a manager

  • Make sure you are leading first and HR processing second
  • When you find yourself HR processing, consider how to execute from a leadership mindset—nothing has to be cold and robotic, even if lawyers disagree
  • Find managers that are not leading and coach them differently—leaders without people can coach, but managers coaching managers is incredibly powerful

Three great books for all leaders

READ

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
by Stephen R. Covey

READ

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
by Simon Sinek

READ

To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others
by Daniel H. Pink

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