| Managers
vs. Leaders
By Ken Blanchard and Drea
Zigarmi
You may think of the words “manager” and “leader”
as two concepts representing opposite ends of a continuum. The term
manager typifies the more structured, controlled, analytical, orderly,
and rule-oriented end of the continuum. The leader end of the continuum
connotes a more experimental, visionary, unstructured, flexible,
and impassioned side. Managers and leaders are not the same. They
think differently internally, and behave differently externally.
In truth, leaders and managers tend to see different aspects of
work and organizational life as important, and therefore, worthy
of their time. They tend to treat people differently, and they spontaneously
react to others differently. They tend to allow their people to
have different focuses, and to limit their people in different ways.
You can understand why these differences result in varied organizational
cultures and, finally, why different reactions result from those
who are being led (depending on the follower’s disposition
and point of view).
Leadership is defined as the act of arousing, engaging, and satisfying
the motives of followers-in an environment of conflict, competition,
or change-that results in the followers taking a course of action
toward a mutually shared vision. You cannot effectively lead if
you do not know your values. Understanding your values gives you
insight about others. Values-based activity is the basis for commitment—yours
and others’. Too many organizations, because of the lack of
leadership, require the followers’ mind and muscle, but not
their hearts. This requires the followers’ focused activity,
but does not engage the followers’ purpose. Organizational
life, because of a lack of leadership, does not integrate the followers’
deeper core beliefs with the work they are asked to do.
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Remember, leadership
style is the pattern of influence you use with others, over time,
as perceived by them. Also recall that directive behaviors in a
one-to-one context are as follows:
- Setting goals
- Planning work in advance
- Defining timelines ?? Specifying priorities
- Determining methods of evaluation
- Defining roles and decision-making prerogatives
- Showing and telling how outcomes will be accomplished
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Supportive behaviors in a one-to-one context have been described
as follows:
- Listening
- Praising and encouraging
- Asking for input
- Sharing information about the total organization’s operation
- Sharing information about self
- Facilitating the problem-solving of others
- Providing rationale
Read more about managers vs. leaders in The Leader Within
Which
DISC is Your Boss?
We all have a basic behavioral
style that we bring to our work environment. P4 Behavioral Styles
Indicator produces an overview of the 4 basic behavioral
style based on an individual's responses to a short questionnaire.
This report discusses how approaches problems, influences
people, paces his (her) work, or follow procedures.. Read this section
of the report carefully to get a good understanding of his basic
behavioral style.
D = Direct - How Approaches
Problems
I = Influence - How Influences and Interacts with People
S = Steadiness - How Reacts and Responds to Pace
C = Compliance - How Follows Procedures Set by other people
Click
here to order DISC Behavioral Styles Indicator - Employee Version
Click
here to order DISC Behavioral Styles Indicator - Executive Version
More on Leadership
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