Leadership and management are different although in smaller organisations people may have to fulfill both roles. Leaders and managers are both needed (even if they are one and the same person) and should respect what each does.
Managers assist in attending to the organisational requirements in order to make it happen. That may involve planning, identifying and sourcing resources needed, overseeing people, delegation and decision making.
Being a leader is not about being served by others, prestige or being the boss. It involves:
- Setting vision and direction and imparting that to others.
- Identifying goals and objectives necessary in achieving the vision.
- Inspiring the team to believe in the vision and motivate them to work towards it.
- Depending on the skills and confidence of the team, the leader may need to adapt their leadership style (situational leadership). There is a separate post in the coaching and mentoring blogs section about leadership styles.
- Ability to identify the skills, confidence and what motivates the members of the team, or to engage others who can do this.
- Looking for ways to raise other people up to become leaders and in so doing develop other people.
- Good listening, clear communication, integrity, accountability, vision, positive mindset.
- Being humble enough to receive criticism yet confident enough to remain resilient.
- Having a growth mindset.
- Being willing to learn.
- Ability to build and empower a team.
- Courage under fire.
- Self-awareness.
- Able to build relationships.
- Authenticity.
- Consistency.
- Ability to prioritise.
- Ability to identify actions needed in logical sequence.
- Respecting the contribution of each team member.
- Ability to deal with conflict and facilitate a resolution
The above list is not exhaustive.
Whilst some people may be natural leaders it is a skill that can be learned and developed. I have been one of the facilitators at the Mentors and Business Coaches International Facilitative Leadership Development workshop, so contact New Panoramas Coaching & Mentoring to discuss our personalised leadership coaching services.