Managers versus Leaders -- Big Difference
I ran across this the other day and it immediately reminded me of the great leaders (bosses) that I worked for (in and out of the military) as well as the really bad ones (mostly in the private sector).
I have been retired for a number of years and a couple of the people I worked for in the private sector or served under in the military are still important parts of my life as friends, mentors and counselors as I watch middle age in the rear view mirror.
How about everyone else - what differentiates leaders from managers for you and is there one that stands out in your memory?
I was very fortunate that exceptional leaders made i possible for me to work somewhere awesome for nearly four decades in the military and then in the private sector.
ambivalent
Position and title do not a leader make.
I agree with you completely
Skip Pierce - Superintendent in charge of construction for the 65 story Chase-Manhattan Bank Building in lower Manhattan (1959).
I was the field plan clerk on that job and worked directly under Skip.
The man smoked a pipe and never,evergot excited or appeared angry. Superintendents for sub-contractors would come in the office all riled up, dancing around waving their arms and shouting about a problem, .... Skip would just let them go on as he stood, arms crossed and puffing on his pipe, when they were done he would just veryquietlysay , "I take care of it".
I learned this when I was teaching. Good principalsknow how to motivate their staff without being on their backs... which in turn, is what good teachers do with their students. I had 3 principals during my tenor as a teacher, and two were wonderful leaders.
Jerry
I have known a couple of leaders, as in your example, that did not get flustered in the face of turmoil or overly full of themselves in the face of success. They also always had the right team in place to "take care of it" whatever it was
Perrie
In highly successful companies, I think you find many parallels between the good principal (the CEO) and the great teachers (inspiring and effective upper and middle management) - that is what makes any enterprise school or business operate effectively.
Robert,
Exactly! Successful managing is getting things done through others.
Jerry
I agree with the sentiment but would word it slightly differently -
Leaders work with others to get things done and make sure the right people have the right tools, resources and authorities to fulfill their responsibilities.
jc2blue
Good for you - there are a lot of managers with similar styles, but mostly e hear about the bad managers rather than the good ones
I picked up the slogan 'Managing is getting things done through others', from a management training course I too for Weichert Realtors out of Morristown New Jersey in 1974.
I agree, today that 'slogan' would cut the wrong way.
Another on point leader at what leaders do ----