“Leadership is Influence, nothing more, nothing less.”
Have you ever had a boss who got on your nerves every day?
A boss who was painful to work for?
A boss who talked trash about your co-workers and only cared about results.
How did he or she make you feel?
What about a boss whom you were excited to work for?
A boss whom you didn’t mind doing a little extra every now and then.
A boss who was always teaching you knew things and encouraged you to scale in your career.
How did you feel about this one?
If you could describe each personality with just one word, what word would you choose for each one?
Years back, I learned the GAPS between a leader and a manager.
Let’s take a look...
Let me start by saying this...
“Every leader is a great manager, but not every manager is a great leader.”
What is a manager?
A manager is someone who manages a system that is already in place.
A manager’s job is to make sure that everything is running smoothly and efficiently.
They love to see results, and they typically hate change because it disrupts their smooth system.
Their mantra is “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”
Typically, they don’t care about creating relationships, but they do care about bringing results.
Leaders are different.
Leaders love change.
They love and care about people.
Leaders love to innovate.
Their mantra is “If it’s not broke, how can I make it better?”
Leaders are always encouraging and pushing their team to learn and scale in their careers because leaders love to multiply themselves in others.
On the contrary, managers lock their people in place and refuse to let them go.
I have seen managers throw a fit when one of their team members gets a promotion.
Can you blame them? No, not really, because their job is to protect a system that works, and when someone leaves the system, the system is interrupted.
And managers hate it.
But why is it important to know the difference between managers and leaders?
Let me tell you why...
Years back, when I was working for a Fortune 500 company, I wanted to promote to a different position.
I remember how excited I was to get the promotion that I wanted at the time.
I was ready to make a change in the department that I was in charge of.
But things didn’t go as I expected.
~ My perspective on how things ran was one hundred percent different.
Long story short.
I refused to be part of a system that went against my values and principles.
Everything went sideways, and it didn’t take me long to realize that I was in the wrong place.
I got bored, burned out, and disappointed, so I left.
After I left, I started studying leadership and personal development.
I became part of the John C. Maxwell leadership group, and John’s coaching made things clear for me.
I knew why I didn’t fit well in the system that I refused to be part of.
I didn’t fit well in the system because I am a leader, not just a manager!
I care about people, but because I didn’t know the difference between a manager and a leader, my job became super difficult and toxic.
I don’t want this to happen to you.
So, what’s the difference between the two?
Leaders love people, are innovative, love to create systems, and are not afraid of change. In Fact, they create change.
Managers hate change, love systems, maintain systems, and typically don’t care about creating relationships with their team.
When you learn to recognize who you work for, things can turn in your favor.
~ Remember...
“Every leader is a great manager, but not every manager is a great leader.”
If you are looking to be a leader.
Here are 6 things to do to position yourself as a great leader.
1 . Lead by example! (This is the most important one)
Always lead by example, your team will do what they see you do, not what you tell them to do.
Remember, every day is an interview, and there’s always someone watching your moves.
2. Be brave to say I was wrong!
When you make a mistake, admit that you made a mistake. If you don’t, you can damage your reputation.
3. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes!
Success and mistakes come together. How would you get better at your craft if you don’t know what works and what doesn’t?
Shift your perception of mistakes and treat them like lessons!
4. Immediately act on repairing the mistake; do not neglect this!
Apologize and fix what needs to be fixed.
Never allow your EGO to get in the way.
5. Understand that it is ok to be vulnerable with your team!
Being Vulnerable creates a solid connection with your team.
Most importantly, it creates trust.
6. Multiply!
Some so-called leaders don’t like to pour their knowledge into others because they believe that they will be obsolete. Don’t make the same mistake. Always teach what you know.
This benefits you and your team.
They will appreciate you.
Til next time!
