How Can You Excel as Both a Manager and a Leader?

I introduced you to the idea that regardless of your title, you are expected to both manage and lead. Although many people think that management and leadership are the same thing, we know that they are not. Like you, over the years, I’ve met many people who were very good managers but poor leaders. I’ve also met people who were inspirational leaders but ineffective managers.

Remember, management is about tasks. It’s about knowing what has to be done annually, monthly, weekly, and of course, daily, giving your people specific outcomes to achieve and ensuring that goals and tasks are completed.

Effective managers know what has to be done, and they get it done. The people and their teams also know what is expected of them and what has to be done each month, each week, and each day.

When people in your team achieve their goals each day, each week, and each month, we can attribute that to you being a good manager.

Leadership, on the other hand, is about people. It’s about bringing people with you. It’s about people coming to work with a smile on their face, knowing that you are the person in charge. They want to be led by you. They don’t just acknowledge you as the manager but also as their leader.

Leadership is about influence. It’s about motivating people. It’s about making employees feel good about themselves and each other.

How do you know you’re doing well as a manager?

1. Does everyone know what your team needs to achieve this month?
2. Do you have a poster somewhere in your work area that displays your team or department’s monthly goals? Something like a Gantt chart would be ideal.
3. Do you discuss what’s on this chart or poster at every meeting? Does everyone in your team feel like everybody is making progress towards the team’s monthly goals?
4. Do you have a weekly meeting where you discuss what has to be achieved for the week ahead?
5. Does everyone in your team have an opportunity to share three of their major focus areas for the week ahead?

Now, let’s talk about leadership.

1. Do you take time each week to have a quick conversation with everyone in your team? This is especially true on a Monday.
2. Do you talk about what you’ve been up to in a positive way and then listen for others to share their stories with you?
3. Do you seem genuinely interested, ask questions, and make positive comments?
4. Do you look your people in the eyes, speak confidently, and say please, thank you, great job, that’s fantastic! Well done! and reinforce good work?
5. Do you inspire your people by your presence?

Your goal this week is to be clear about what has to be accomplished, to set goals and objectives, and then to lead in a positive way.