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FEATURE STORY
Leadership and Management are Not The Same
UBy George Scott
nfortunately, it happens far too often. Someone who lacks emotional maturity and leadership insights gets a new title that includes the word “manager.” The next thing you know, that person begins to bark orders at everyone, refuses to listen to the voice of reason and
engages in authoritarian behavior.
According to Khan, Langrove, Shah, and Javid (2015), an
“authoritarian...leader is very autocratic, has strict rules, policies and procedures, and views punishment as the most effective means to motivate employees” (para 5D, see Recommended Reading list cited at the end of article).
In my opinion, authoritarian leaders are not leaders or managers at all – and they can barely be called overseers – even though the word “manager” is in the job title. Their “management” behavior toward others is highly questionable and frequently abusive.
Furthermore, when this individual’s actions are realized, the individual should be immediately removed from the position and given the opportunity to re-experience leadership training or...to leave the company.
The autocratic/authoritative (Ganos & Galoo, 2013, p.161) type of management actions described above falls (tangentially) into a transactional leadership category. This type of “leader” (a/k/a manager) is more concerned with things and procedures and less concerned about the people using those things and procedures. For example, an autocratic/authoritative manager is more likely to launch into a tirade when a (normally dependable) staff member submits a report 30 minutes late.
A Better Way
Fortunately, there is a much better type of leadership – transformational, which is frequently called democratic/participative. (Ganos & Galoo, 2013, p. 162) Badaracco and Ellsworth (1989) agree with Burns’ explanation that “[Transformative] leadership occurs when one or more persons engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality.” (p. 67)
Sincerely caring about people is a top trait of a transformative leader. For example, regarding the “late report” situation mentioned earlier, a transformative leader would make an effort to learn why the usually dependable employee’s report was submitted late. Finding out that the employee had been in the emergency room with a sick child the previous night, a transformative leader would first ask how
the employee’s child was doing. And then thank the employee for submitting the report “only 30 minutes late.”
Another transformational leadership trait is the willingness to help employees develop educationally and professionally.
One such business leader is Brent Forsberg, President of T.A. Forsberg, a 54-year old Okemos-based real estate development firm. In addition to an internal staff development program started in early 2016, Forsberg encourages his employees to use 10 percent of the work week to engage in professional self-development activities such as completing college coursework or attending a professional certification class.
Having attended most of the weekly internal staff development program meetings, I have noticed an evolutionary positive change in his staff members’ attitudes and an increased sense of esprit de corps.
Serving, While Leading
Someone once said, “If serving is below you, then leadership is beyond you.” This comment particularly holds true for anyone who wants to become a mentor-leader and is one aspect of being a transformative leader. Essentially, a mentor-leader focuses on helping hierarchal subordinates experience continuous success in their respective professional positions, as well as in life.
An easy to recognize example of this type of mentor-leader is a sports coach. A good coach sets expectations and requirements upfront, provides quality training, observes performance, provides congratulations and encouragement, reinforces expectations and if requirements are not met, provides retraining (as needed) and is the team’s most enthusiastic cheerleader. A good coach attempts to bring out the best in each player so collectively they do their best as a team.
Tony Dungy, former coach of the Indianapolis Colts 2007 Super Bowl championship team, states in his book The Mentor Leader (2010), “mentor leadership [which] focuses on developing the strengths of individuals...can be taught and learned; but in order to be absorbed, it must be practiced.” (p. xvii)
With a focus on Coach Dungy’s last four words (“...it must be practiced”), I have witnessed numerous “managers” (versus leaders) who tried some new (to them) leadership techniques for a whole day and junked it the next day because “it just didn’t work.” The shortsightedness contained within that statement is astounding! The simple fact of the matter is that good things take time, especially when it involves other people.
For example, the gestation period needed for a healthy human baby to be born – nine months. If the birthing of the baby is rushed
10 January/February 2017