Are you a leader, manager, or both? Managers are often mistaken for leaders. Let’s look at the elements of leadership and management, and you decide where you fall within the management – leadership spectrum. The purpose of this pontification is to enhance your leadership abilities.
Leader Skills
Focuses on People and their Emotions
Listens
Does the the Right Things
Asks What and Why
Manager Skills
Focuses on Things
Declares
Does Things Right
Asks How and When
Are you committed to be a leader?
So, what are some of the skills you need to enhance? You must have a clear vision and mission of what you want your team to accomplish and be able to communicate to them clearly. A vision is what you want your team to become. A mission is what you will do to get there. Your decisions need to be in concert with the team’s vision and mission. Empower – not control your members. Focus on what and why questions; instead of how and when questions. Determine your unique qualities that come naturally and that you do well. Leverage your strengths and fix your weaknesses. Recognize what you don’t do well and work to improve. All leaders should go through a period of training, of increased responsibilities, and endless learning.
You need emotional intelligence. This self-awareness includes:
Self-regulation is the controlling of a process or activity by the people or organizations that are involved in it rather than by an outside organization.
Motivation is the general desire or willingness for someone to do something.
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
Well? What do you think? Are you a manager? Are you a leader? Are you both?
Any places you would like to improve?