Flexing Your Leadership Muscle

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Do you understand when you need to take a management approach by ensuring you have clearly explained your expectations and desired outcomes? This is a discussion we have often with the leaders we support as both styles are critical to your success and your team’s success.

Leadership is about how you motivate and inspire others to think for themselves, while supporting them along the way by being a sounding board, coach and mentor for your people. It goes without saying that you must role model the behaviors you expect to see in others, as leadership is very much an inside-out job.

Management is often very task-focused, and it is critical that you are clear and concise in your communication as you define what is expected of your people. The definition of management is often described as being more hands-on and being willing to jump into the trenches with your people when they need you.

Leadership is not primarily about what you do, it is more about who you are and how you are showing up for others. It is more about being than doing, more about simplicity than complexity. It is about authenticity and creating an environment where people feel comfortable being themselves.

• Managers administer; leaders innovate.
• Managers maintain; leaders develop.
• Managers focus on systems and structure; leaders focus on people.
• Managers rely on control; leaders inspire trust.
• Managers have a short-range view; leaders have a long-range perspective.
• Managers ask how and when; leaders ask why.
• Managers do things right; leaders do the right thing.

The most effective and impactful leaders know how to pivot between leading and managing as both are equally important to create a high-performing culture within an organization. Leaning into only one style will create challenges for individuals and teams, and it will limit your ability to grow upwards on the leadership ladder.

Let’s get growing!