Recently, I was watching a movie about a war situation and was amazed to see that the leader of the country not only made the bold decision to start a secret mission, but also was deeply involved in its execution. The leader consults with his core team every day, asks for daily updates and reviews progress to make sure they were getting the results calculated.
A lot of research has been done on the topic of “how leaders and managers are different”. However, here is a perspective that could add to such mammoth efforts taken already or may help you hone your leadership skills.
I believe that you cannot be a good leader without being a good manager, especially in a domain as complex as tech. For example, a good leader with strong managerial skills will be more focused on the execution and disciplined process of getting things done.
Do We Need More Leaders or More Managers?
I often wonder if a company, especially a small, growing one, needs more managers or more leaders. Are these roles different? Sometimes, we seem to use the terms manager and leader interchangeably. While Leaders “lead” the teams, people, or a company by influencing and inspiring others, while managers do it on a micro-level.
A leader could rally their troops and inspire and motivate their team, but without proper planning and disciplined execution, the team may struggle to achieve sustained productivity.
Managers promote stability while leaders press for change and only organizations that embrace both sides of that equation can thrive during change.
For organizations to turn vision into reality, leaders should play managerial roles once their strategy is defined.
Fail to Deliver Results
Initiatives fail when leaders struggle to translate intentions into actions and follow through.
Here, it is imperative to talk the importance of solid execution across an organization. For example, a brilliant marketing or branding idea may have the potential to create an impact, but only a well-crafted execution plan can help you deliver on your intent and keep you up there. This execution plan involves defining roles and responsibilities, reviewing progress, mentoring people, resolving issues, and ensuring that envisioned outcomes are achieved.
An execution strategy will only be effective when it is supported with time and actions. Leaders should evaluate carefully, which actions will accelerate their execution towards achieving the right results. Moreover, for an execution strategy to bring about any transformation in the organization, leaders should exhibit and encourage commitment and sincerity. If you do not invest your commitment and energy towards a solid execution at the very beginning, there are chances of others not committing themselves to execute your strategy.
Finally, balancing leadership and managerial abilities can generate the energy your business needs to achieve a successful performance transformation – the hallmark of every great organization.