Tag Manage vs Lead

Earning the Commitment of the People You Lead

Steve Keating Leave a comment

I am frequently asked about the difference between managing and leading. I am frequently asked that by people who don’t believe there is a difference. I know almost instinctively that the people who do not believe there is a difference between managing and leading are not leading people. They are attempting to do the impossible, which is manage another human being.

It’s impossible because human beings mostly refuse to be managed. They resist at every opportunity and when the opportunity to resist doesn’t arise they will create one. People want to be led.

The best a manager can do is coerce the compliance of their people. The problems with that are many but here’s one of the biggest ones. When the manager isn’t directly in the presence of their people the compliance isn’t either. That’s why I say attempting to manage people causes most of the people issues managers deal with.

Leaders on the other hand work to earn the commitment of their people. The advantages of having the commitment of the people you lead are also many but here’s a huge one. When the leader isn’t physically present the commitment of the people remains. They continue to produce and behave exactly as they would if their leader was with them.

The reality is, earning the commitment of the people you lead is crucial for building a strong and cohesive team. Without that commitment there will always be personal issues. Managers will tell you that some of the biggest challenges with their job are people related. Leaders seldom if ever say that.

If you’re interested in eliminating most of the personal issues in your organization, here are some strategies to earn the commitment of your people and put them, and your organization on the path to long-term success.

Lead by Example. Demonstrate the behavior and work ethic you expect from your team members. Your actions speak louder than words, so model the values, attitudes, and work standards you want your team to embody. When your team sees your commitment, they are more likely to emulate it.

Communicate Effectively. Keep lines of communication open and transparent. Provide clear instructions, share information openly, and actively listen to your team members’ feedback and concerns. Effective communication creates trust, encourages collaboration, and ensures everyone is aligned with the team’s goals and vision.

Empower and Delegate. Trust your team members with responsibilities and empower them to make decisions within their areas of expertise. Delegating tasks not only shows your confidence in their abilities but also allows them to grow professionally. When people feel trusted and valued, they are more committed to achieving shared goals.

Recognize and Appreciate. Acknowledge and appreciate your team members’ contributions regularly. Celebrate their successes, both big and small, and publicly recognize their efforts. Genuine appreciation fosters a positive work environment. It boosts morale, and reinforces commitment to the team and its objectives.

Provide Growth Opportunities. Support your team members’ professional development by offering training, mentorship, and opportunities for growth. Invest in their skills and career advancement, and encourage them to pursue their goals. When people see a clear path for their development within the team, they are more likely to stay committed.

Foster a Positive Culture. Create a supportive work culture. Make everyone feel valued, respected, and motivated to contribute. Encourage teamwork, collaboration, and a sense of belonging. Address conflicts and challenges promptly and constructively to maintain an environment where people are committed to working together towards common goals.

Lead with Empathy. Understand and empathize with your team members’ individual needs, challenges, and aspirations. Show genuine concern for their well-being and provide support during difficult times. When people feel understood and supported, they are more likely to remain committed to the team and its objectives.

Set Clear Goals and Expectations. Establish clear goals, objectives, and expectations for your team members. Ensure everyone understands their role in achieving these goals. Provide the necessary resources and support to help them succeed. Clarity and alignment around goals enhance commitment and motivation.

Celebrate Successes Together. Celebrate team achievements and milestones as a collective. Recognize the contributions of each team member towards the shared success. Celebrating together builds a sense of camaraderie and reinforces commitment to future endeavors.

These are the strategies that will help you earn the commitment of the people you lead. They will help you to build a high-performing team. They will act as the glue that holds the organization together in challenging times. They are key to achieving shared goals and lasting success.

As a leader you must remember, you manage “stuff.” Stuff like budgets, buildings and inventory. But you LEAD people. Once you have that difference firmly in mind your leadership potential is greatly enhanced. And so is the potential of every person you lead.

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The Actual Differences Between Managing and Leading

Steve Keating Leave a comment

It has been a while since I’ve written on this topic. Considering the hefty increase over the last few months in subscribers to this blog it feels like it’s time again. The terms “managing” and “leading” are often used interchangeably, but they represent distinct aspects of organizational and team dynamics. While there is some overlap, they emphasize different roles and functions within a group or company.

Simply put, we manage “stuff” and we lead people. “Stuff” includes everything that isn’t people. Things like spreadsheets, buildings, inventory, equipment, budgets and a ton of other “stuff.” Leadership is about people and it’s only about people. People will always resist being managed because it’s human nature to resist being treated like a piece of equipment.

People insist on being led. That might not be a conscious insistence but it’s as real as can be. Most of what HR professionals would describe as “personnel issues” stem from trying to manage people who insist, whether consciously or subconsciously, on being led.

The sustainability of an organization depends on both sound management and effective leadership. It also depends on understanding the unique characteristics of each.

Here’s a breakdown of the actual differences between managing and leading:

Focus and Scope:

• Managing: Primarily focuses on tasks, processes, and resources. Managers are responsible for planning, organizing, and controlling day-to-day activities to achieve specific objectives. Their focus is often on efficiency, coordination, and problem-solving.

• Leading: Primarily focuses on people. Leaders inspire and motivate individuals or teams to achieve a common vision or goal. Their focus is on aligning people with the organization’s mission, values, and long-term objectives.

Role and Authority:

• Managing: Involves the allocation and coordination of resources, making decisions, and ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently. Managers typically have authority based on their position within the organizational hierarchy.

• Leading: Involves influencing and inspiring others to follow a shared vision. Leaders may not always have formal authority, as their influence can stem from personal qualities, vision, or expertise.

Orientation:

• Managing: Tends to be more task-oriented. Managers are concerned with how to achieve specific goals, meet deadlines, and efficiently use resources.

• Leading: Tends to be more people-oriented. Leaders focus on building relationships, fostering collaboration, and creating a positive organizational culture.

Timing:

• Managing: Often involves short-term planning and execution. Managers deal with immediate issues, problems, and operational aspects of the organization.

• Leading: Often involves long-term vision and strategy. Leaders look ahead, setting the direction for the organization and navigating it through changes and challenges.

Control vs. Inspiration:

• Managing: Involves control mechanisms to ensure that tasks are completed as planned. Managers use authority, rules, and systems to maintain order.

• Leading: Involves inspiring and motivating others. Leaders appeal to emotions, values, and aspirations to encourage commitment and engagement.

Risk-Taking:

• Managing: Generally focuses on minimizing risks and maintaining stability. Managers often work within established procedures and protocols.

• Leading: Involves taking calculated risks to pursue innovation and change. Leaders are more likely to challenge the status quo and encourage experimentation.

In practice, effective leadership often requires a combination of management skills. Successful organizations recognize the importance of both managing and leading and may seek individuals who can balance these roles to achieve overall success and sustainability.

The Difference Between Managing and Leading 

Steve Keating 1 Comment

I haven’t written on this topic in a while but a couple of recent conversations have provoked me into taking another stab at it. One of the conversations was particularly troublesome. A talent acquisition manager for a medical device company told me one of their main criteria when hiring was “ease of management.” I asked for clarification on exactly what that meant and they told me “someone who is easy to manage. 

I smiled and said good luck with that; you’ll never find a human being who is easy to manage. 

And that’s a fact. Human beings will always resist being managed. Sometimes the resistance is subconscious and sometimes it’s conscious. Sometimes it’s downright rebellious. Most of the issues managers would call personnel issues stem from the fact that they are trying to manage their people like a piece of equipment instead of leading them like a human being.

Managing and leading are two distinct concepts. They are different mindsets. The skills associated with managing are not the same skills associated with leading. Although managing and leading are often used interchangeably nothing is further from the truth. In general, managing involves overseeing and controlling the day-to-day operations of an organization or a team. We manage stuff, not people. Leading involves inspiring and guiding people to achieve a common goal. We do not lead stuff, we lead people. 

Here are a few of the most significant differences between managing and leading.

Focus. Managing typically involves a focus on maintaining and improving the status quo. Leading is focused on inspiring and creating change.

Execution. Managing involves implementing plans and policies that have already been established. Leading involves developing new strategies and ideas to move the organization forward.

Control. Managing is often about controlling resources and processes to achieve specific outcomes. Leading is more about empowering people and encouraging them to take ownership of their work.

Communication. Managing tends to involve more direct, specific communication about tasks and deadlines. Leading involves more open, collaborative communication that fosters innovation and creativity.

Vision. Leading is often associated with creating and communicating a vision for the future. Managing is focused on executing plans that are already in place.

Managing and leading are both important for the success of an organization. But they require different skill sets and approaches. A good manager is able to efficiently control resources and processes to achieve specific outcomes. A true leader is able to inspire and motivate people to work towards a common goal.

One person can possess both skill sets. Authentic leaders often have both great management skills and terrific leadership skills. They understand the difference and they never manage when they should be leading. And they never hire people they think will be easy to manage. They know that when they lead effectively, everyone is easy to lead.

Want more of LeadToday? I’ve changed things up on my Twitter feed for subscribers. I recently began publishing two or three videos each week focusing on an element of Authentic Leadership. I’ll post these videos each Tuesday and Thursday morning. Sometimes a bonus video pops up at other times during the week. They will be about 10 minutes long so we can get into the topic in a more meaningful way. The investment for subscribers in still only $4.99 a month. That’s for at least 80 MINUTES of quality video content on leadership a month.

If you’re interested in taking a look, head on over to my Twitter profile page. If you’re not a follower yet just hit the follow button. It will change to a subscribe button and once you hit that you’re on your way. You can cancel at any time you’ve decided you have nothing left to learn about leading the people who you count on for your success.

Here’s the link to my Twitter… https://twitter.com/leadtoday

The Time to Lead

Steve Keating 2 Comments

Leading people is not easy. Especially when compared to managing things. There are management processes and standard work practices. Both are predictable, you do certain things, you get a known outcome as a result. 

But people can’t be managed, they must be led. When leading people there are few predictable outcomes. People will always surprise you. We can’t know for certain how people will react in various circumstances until we see them react. Just because they acted in a particular way does not guarantee they will act the same way when they are in similar circumstances. 

That can make leading people a significant challenge. It can also make leading people very rewarding. Authentic Leadership helps people grow and develop. It frequently helps ordinary people achieve extraordinary results. It turns followers into leaders. 

The challenge of actually leading people is what causes many people in leadership positions to attempt to manage their people. Attempting to manage people causes an entire host of problems. In fact most of the personnel “problems” that an HR department deals with are a result of a person being managed rather than led. 

The employee may be labeled a “problem employee” when in reality it could well be a leadership issue. 

People in leadership positions who don’t actually lead quickly become frustrated with their people. They don’t understand why people won’t respond in predictable patterns. They give the same direction to 5 different people and they get 5 different results. They are also unlikely to understand their own role in the 5 different results. 

If you’re in a leadership position and you’re struggling with the performance of your people you first have to consider your role in their performance. You need to accept the fact that their performance is at least partly related to your effectiveness in leading them. If you have someone in your organization who is underperforming then there are two possible “root causes.” One, you hired the wrong person or you put them in the wrong role. Two, you are not providing them with the skills and tools they need to succeed. Either way, you must own that. 

You must also consider how you “see” your people. Are your people an expense or an investment. When you are attempting to coach an underperforming team member do you think “I’m going to have to SPEND time ON that person to get them up to speed.” Or do you think to yourself, “I have an opportunity to INVEST time WITH that person to help them reach the potential I see in them.” 

The difference in that mindset will shape every conversation with your team. Your people will pick up on that attitude and they will respond accordingly. If you believe your people are a problem then I can almost guarantee you that your people will be a problem. 

Leading people, Authentically Leading them, will take an investment of time. Often a substantial investment. If you don’t have the time to truly lead then you are doing your people and your organization a disservice by occupying a leadership position. You may want to stick with managing things because it could be that people just aren’t for you. 

Are You a Manager or a Leader?

Steve Keating 5 Comments

Not a single person reading this has ever successfully managed people. That’s because it can’t be done. Human beings resist being managed to the point of being impossible to manage. 

People insist on being led. If you think managing and leading are one and the same then you may be a manager but you’re most certainly not a leader. 

I’ve written about this before but since it’s been awhile here’s a refresher. 

Managing and leading are two different things. You manage things. Things like a budget, buildings, inventory, property and the like. If it’s an “it” you can manage it. If “it” is not capable of expressing emotion go ahead and manage away. 

But if you’re dealing with a flesh and blood person then attempting to manage them creates nearly every problem the typical manager complains about. 

Leadership is about people and only people. When you attempt to manage people you risk treating them like things…at least they feel that way. That highlights one critical difference between managing and leading. Things don’t “feel” but people always do. 

That makes leading far more challenging than managing. Dealing with our own emotions is tough enough, trying to make sense of other people’s emotions can be more than a little daunting. That’s likely why so many people in leadership positions don’t try. They try to manage their people instead.

Another reason that happens is that over 70% of the people in leadership positions have no formal leadership training. None. Zippo. Zero. They also have had no mentoring from a successful leader. They are put into a leadership position and then expected to fend for themselves. It’s almost as if people think leadership just happens.

Make no mistake about this absolute fact…leaders are not born, they are trained. The training can take on different forms but absent some type of training it is exceptionally rare for Authentic Leadership to emerge. 

That makes for a difficult leadership experience, for both the leader and those they try to lead. 

I wish I could tell you that every company that promotes someone to a leadership position also provides them with the training to succeed as a leader. Unfortunately very few actually do. So be aware that just as it is in much of life, if success as a leader is meant to be then it’s likely up to you to make it happen.

So find yourself a leadership development program to enroll in. Maybe even more important, find yourself a leadership mentor. Someone you trust and admire as a leader and ask them to show you how they do it. 

If you’ve chosen the right person will be thrilled to invest their time to share their insights with you. 

One last point. I don’t want anyone to think that I’m diminishing the importance of solid management within every organization. Poor management is in fact the cause of many business failures. If you’re a great manager then your impact on an organization can be substantial. You are vital to the success of any organization. 

It’s important to understand however that being a great manager does not make you a great leader anymore than being a great leader makes you a great manager. Some people are blessed with both skillsets. Many are not and it’s incumbent upon you to know the difference. 

People, Expense or Investment?

Steve Keating 2 Comments

There are two distinct mindsets in business today with regards to the people who make up an organization. One mindset, the one I’ll call a managerial mindset says that people are an expense. The other mindset, the one I’ll call a leadership mindset says that people are an investment. 

The difference between those two mindsets is huge!

Let’s say you’re currently occupying a leadership position and you have a team member who isn’t quite getting the job done. If you think to yourself you’re going to have to “spend time on” that person to get them up to speed then you likely have a managerial mindset.

On the other hand let’s say you see that same person. If you think to yourself I’m going to “invest time with” that person to help get them achieve their potential then you have a leadership mindset. 

Your mindset will affect every single interaction you have with your people. 

That’s because we almost instinctively manage expenses. The thought “spend time on” indicates you see people as an expense. Even if only subconsciously. Your people will pick up on that mindset and respond accordingly. They will act as an expense, someone merely hired to be a cog in the wheel. They will resist being the asset that they could be, even if only subconsciously. 

If you see your people as an expense then you will try to manage them. That will cause YOU enormous issues. Do you understand what that means? It means if you have personnel issues then your mindset towards your people is likely the biggest cause.  

When you have a leadership mindset your thoughts regarding people tend to be much more on the “invest time with” side. You realize people can’t be managed, they must be led. That mindset helps you to care about your people. You realize that your success as a leader is completely dependent upon the success of your people. 

Your people will pick up on that mindset and respond accordingly. They will see themselves as someone who brings value to the organization. They will understand that what they do matters and they will commit to do it to the best of their ability. They will give a 100% effort because they know you are committed to them and they will respond with a commitment of their own. 

There are no documented instances of organizations that saw their people as an expense succeeding long term. There are however well documented instances of companies that were in business a long time “adapting” their thinking to one of “people are an expense.” Their demise soon followed. 

By the way, if you’re wondering why a company would suddenly change to a “people are an expense” philosophy I have a one word explanation for you. Consultant! Actually that’s not fair, most consultants are firmly on the “people are an investment” side. It’s the big consulting firms who promote the “people are an expense” concept. They encourage companies to save money by cutting people expenses. They also encourage you to pay them a substantial percentage of that “savings.” 

If you’re in a leadership position then you should know that your first investment must be in your people. New people, young people, experienced people are all worthy investments. Those investments provide a near guaranteed ROI for your organization. 

If your plan to make money includes cutting expenses by cutting people then you should know that’s very short term thinking. You should also know that short term thinking never leads to long term success.

Managing vs Leading – Part Seven

Steve Keating 1 Comment

People in leadership positions who attempt to manage their people use their head to get good things done. They expect their people to use their head as well. They are more manager than leader.

People in leadership positions who actually lead use their head and their heart to encourage their people to accomplish great things. They are as concerned with their people’s heart as much as their heads. They are more leader than manager but they are often excellent managers as well. However, they do not manage their people, they lead them.

People in leadership positions who attempt to manage people are so focused on what needs to get done that they forget it is people, real life human beings, who will get that work done. That causes them to often treat their people as something rather than someone.

Leaders lead. The need neither a leadership position or title to do it. Their first priority is the people who will do the work, not the work itself. They invest the time required to understand how their people think and why they think that way. They know their hopes, their challenges and their goals.

They help them in any area they possibly can. They will compassionately confront them when that is what is needed for them to succeed. They coach them. They mentor them. They care for them.

They do not tell them what to do, they show them. They model successful behavior. They hold their people to high standards and hold themselves to even higher standards.

Leaders who lead earn the commitment of their people. That commitment leads to increased productivity and extraordinary results.

People have hearts and it’s those hearts that truly need leadership. If you’re in a leadership position and you’re not leading your people then don’t expect them to put their hearts into their work. They may indeed use their heads to do good things but greatness will elude them. It will almost certainly elude you as well.