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November 24, 2010Management is doing things right; Leadership is doing the right things.
This quote is from Peter Drucker, a legendary business thinker and is one of my favourites phrases relating to business and management. It is also one that I have used many times in client workshops when discussing the difference between management and leadership.
Anyway, I was thinking about the two ideas – management and leadership – and what they really mean. Looking into the origin of the words, here’s what I found that I thought was really interesting. These definitions come from an Etymology Dictionary:
- manage
- 1560s, probably from the Italian ‘maneggiare’ meaning “to handle,” esp. “to control a horse,” from the Latin manus “hand”. Influenced by the French manège “horsemanship” (earliest English sense was of handling horses), which also was from the Italian. Extended to other objects or business from 1570s. Slang sense of “get by” first recorded 1650s.
- lead
- “to guide,” Old English lædan “cause to go with one, lead,” causative of liðan “to travel. Meaning “to be in first place” is from late 14c. The noun is first recorded c.1300, “action of leading.” Meaning “the front or leading place” is from 1560s.
So, from their origins managers and management is about control, to handle something and the status quo whereas leaders, leadership and to lead is about momentum and traveling somewhere.
Combining these with Drucker’s quote, we can say that leadership is about doing the things that need to be done in order to create momentum and growth.
If we accept this as an idea, here’s my question: Does that not mean that leadership can exist at all levels of an orgainsation and that not to recognise that could stifle momentum and growth?
In a world where everything is changing so fast, and where the opportunities for growth and momentum can occur at all levels, should we not be training, encouraging and giving our people (all of them including ourselves) the space to lead and to create more momentum if we are to grow, whether that is as a team, as an individual or as a business?
Are you encouraging everyone in your organisation to lead in their own way?
More, what are you doing to actually help them lead?
Thanks to kk+ for the image.
16 Comments
We need leadership at all levels to grow and create momentum http://bit.ly/bSVsQi
RT @adrianswinscoe: We need leadership at all levels to grow and create momentum http://bit.ly/bSVsQi
RT @adrianswinscoe: We need leadership at all levels to grow and create momentum http://bit.ly/bSVsQi
Actually given the definitions, I would extend the request to include competent management as Drucker defined it since I can’t say that is all that common either.
In fact if you look at the symmetry of the definitions they need each other in equal measure.
Hi Martin,
I wouldn’t like to comment on the existence of competent management but I suspect that you may be right.
I like the idea of the symmetry of the definitions. In fact, momentum without control is a recipe for disaster. But, I am not sure that equal measure is necessary in all cases. Will it not depend on the place and role in the organisation and it will be more of a balance?
Adrian
Leadership at all levels yes, but there are clear distinctions of what it entails at different levels of the enterprise. Charan, Drotter and Noel’s book, The Leadership Pipeline, is one of the better books illustrating that.
For one client with whom I am working, we are right now employing the idea that leaders share a commitment to align, connect and engage (ACE) – Align internally (so they are not leading in opposing directions), Connect with their staff, teams and partners, and Engage with customers, also enabling their staff to do the same. In this respect, managers and employees at all levels can find the space to lead, each in their own way, but still benefit from the synergy of leading toward a common goal.
Hi Marc,
You make an important point that ‘leadership’ will mean different things at different levels of the business. You’ve also just added to my reading list. I’ve read a bit of Ram Charan’s stuff but not this one. It’s now on my wishlist. Thank you for that.
I like your model of ACE and how one of your clients is applying it. My question would be: What are they doing that is making sure that all staff at all levels are ‘enabled’ to do the same?
Adrian
Adrian,
Yes as a principle in equal measure because once we have been led to do the right things, we then need to capitalise by doing them right. And that is never a given.
I’m a fan of the leadership at all levels observation, but we need to shout out just as loudly that the quality of day to day management is as sexy and important because that where the money and motivation gets wasted
Martin,
Agreed. It is essential that we get the basics right, focus on where the value is and not get carried away with another initiative that skips over the ABCs.
Thanks for keeping our eyes firmly on the ball,
Adrian
Amen to that! One of my clients has made a habit of reminding his teams and closing his large group presentations with the phrase “Let’s be brilliant at the basics!” Recently we used a relay race metaphor and selected video clips illustrating the what Olympic success and failure looks like when even a split second can make all the difference. We then ask people to talk about what those critical handoffs look like in their patch of the business, how they get the fine details right, and how it feels to deliver a good, clean message so that the other person can quickly accelerate to their full potential.
Hi Marc,
What a great example of using video clips of memorable sporting events, particularly relay races, to help embed the message and the behaviour. Great tips. Thank you for that.
Adrian
RT @adrianswinscoe: We need leadership at all levels to grow and create momentum http://bit.ly/bZG5hr
RT @adrianswinscoe: We need leadership at all levels to grow and create momentum http://bit.ly/bZG5hr
RT @adrianswinscoe: We need leadership at all levels to grow and create momentum http://bit.ly/bSVsQi
Personally Adrian, I believe that leadership should exist at all levels of the organisation and the job of managers is for them to make it easy for people to do their jobs and give excellent customer service.
Hi Matthew,
Thanks for dropping by and commenting. I agree that it should be present at all levels and think that managers need to understand that leadership is not always about taking charge but could be as much as giving someone the freedom to innovate or use their own initiative, which would result, as you point out, in them being able to do their jobs well and provide excellent customer service.
Adrian