www.NiallStrickland.com
Are you a Leader or a Manager of your Business? Summary/Description Many business owners have the impression that they are leaders of their business and not just managers. What are the essential differences between leaders and managers and what impact does this have on business performance? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ If you are running a successful business, you may have the mistaken impression that you are a great leader. We all tend to inflate our capabilities when it comes to considering how our staff really views us. Many business owners who have had the courage to do 360 degree feedback within their business have been shocked to find that their subordinates have a completely different view of them. 360 degree feedback tools seek honest assessment from peers, customers, and subordinates using a detailed questionnaire. You often find that this type of feedback can be a tremendous blow to your ego. Whereas you have always seen yourself as someone that leads from the front, your subordinates may see you as someone that pushes them into difficult situations while you stand on the side lines. You may believe that you protect your staff and fight their corner for them in difficult situations whereas they believe you cast them adrift when contentious issues arise. You may think that you are a popular boss whereas the majority of your subordinates may see you as an arrogant bully. So what are the essential differences between managers and leaders? Managers see business planning as their domain and subordinates are simply required to execute their plan. They believe they know what has to be done and concentrate on marshalling subordinates to do things their way. Managers may ask for everyone’s opinion, and then do what they had already made up their mind to do. Managers see knowledge as power and only share the minimum of information with subordinates. Managers often micro‐ manage and focus on correcting every little mistake that a subordinate may make. Managers can be so caught up in nit‐picking that they lose sight of the business goals that they are trying to achieve. Leaders have a clear vision about where they are trying to take the business. They are focused on bringing the entire team along with them. Leaders share information and seek ideas from subordinates. They evaluate all of the alternatives brought to them and go with the one that has the best chance of success. They are firm but fair. Leaders are unconcerned about the minutiae of how a subordinate does his job but instead concentrates on helping them achieve their business goals. Leaders energize the business and create organizational excitement that permeates every facet of the business. They inspire people to out‐perform. Managers will often make an argument that a business is doing well so why change anything, whereas a leader will be constantly open to new ideas and change will be a way of life in their business. It is obvious which type of business is going to perform better. So, the question must be asked – are you a manager or a leader?
Visit www.NiallStrickland.com to download other Business Articles, to view Business Advice Videos or to Discover the full range of products and services available
www.NiallStrickland.com
BIO Resource Box Niall Strickland is an MBA with more than 20 years of business coaching and management consulting experience working with CEO’s in small and medium businesses. He can provide additional information about common business issues and how to resolve them at www.NiallStrickland.com. This article has also been published on www.EzineArticles.com
Visit www.NiallStrickland.com to download other Business Articles, to view Business Advice Videos or to Discover the full range of products and services available