Managing things and leading people are two different things. They should never be treated on the same level and a good leader must know this basic distinction. Whether you, are a doctor, a hospital administrator, a manager, a boss, or somebody on that level, you should know how to manage things and lead the people under you. Manageable things are financial resources, production, inventory, conflict, time, and the like. People don’t belong to this bracket because if you try to manage people, you will “FAIL” as a leader.
How to be a good leader
Leadership is doing the right things while management is doing things right.
The key to understanding what it means to be a leader is knowing the basic differences and relationships between these two confusing concepts. You are a leader to your own people in your own field of profession. Good leadership maximizes human effort. A leader is a teacher who enhances the skills and energy of others while directing them toward a goal. The most effective way to lead is by example; even those who hardly listen to a word you say observe a good deal more of what you do. As a leader, you are expected to create priorities and decide what to do first. As a manager, you create the schedule and the plan to make it happen. This is another way of saying that the leader determines what should be accomplished, and then the manager figures out how to do it. A good leader knows when to exhibit leadership, when to be a team player, and when to follow someone else’s lead.
Leading
To lead the people, walk behind them. A leader’s job is not to judge people but to determine who is in need of special help and to make sure that person receives it. A leader should focus on identifying the causes of a problem and then work to eliminate them. A leader nurtures cooperation and eliminates barriers to cooperation and to enjoyment of work. The leader motivates by giving credit and by providing positive and negative reinforcement. The leader teaches by identifying and clarifying needs. The leader supplies energy with enthusiasm and by example. And when leadership is not needed, the leader lets loose the reins.
Following
In theory, the current leader encourages others to assume leadership roles and moves into the background as they emerge. In practice, however, it can be difficult to give up what you’ve worked so hard to gain. Having enjoyed success and recognition as a leader, many people strive to keep the reins of power by dominating the upstarts who appear to threaten their status. At the same time, energetic and creative employees may not be satisfied to quietly follow established leaders.
[tag]management,leadership[/tag]
Posted by Manuel
Manuel Montala was an online entrepreneur who enjoys blogging about entrepreneurship and gathering information for his blog to help budding entrepreneurs. You can also reach him on twitter: http://twitter.com/mmontala
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