Deciding to be a manager or leader
When do you decide to be a manager versus a leader? Can you be both?
Once again the circumstances and the personnel will play a part in deciding how you approach a team. I would think that the ability to manage and lead at the same time could be useful in certain circumstances; for example if you had a well seasoned team working on a goal that got bogged down due to a changing environment, they could benefit from someone able to transition from his/her role as a leader to someone capable of managing the team through the turbulent times.
Hi Donald. You're absolutely correct that it takes both someone with skills as a manager and a leader as well as the ability to read the environmental changes. I'm curious, would you manage/lead each person on your team in the same way?
I think each member of the team has different needs depending on their specific assigned tasks and/or experience. Obviously those members new to a team or with less experience will need someone capable of being a manager; whereas the more seasoned members will respond to someone more adept at leading (or inspiring). In my particular role, I am the Dean of Academic Affairs in a health discipline college. I have many faculty who are quite experienced and my role with them is quite different than those faculty that are new to higher education. At times my role ranges from the "cheerleader" or motivator all the way to the guy that reminds them to do this or remember your timelines. You had asked before if I would ever need to be both a manager and leader at the same time. I feel in my role I function as both most of the time.
I'm a manager when tasks need to be done efficiently and swiftly. I am a leader when I need to lead by example and reach goals. I definitely need to be both.
Hi Jeannine. It's very positive that you have the ability to use both skill sets. Equally important is knowing WHEN to use them. It sounds as if you use management skills when the task needs to be dealt with quickly and perhaps leadership skills when the task at hand isn't as time sensitive. Do I have that right?
Yes at times, but I still need to be flexible and adapt to any situation where I may need one or the other and most times I need to use both skills.
Absolutely! Again, it's very positive that you have proficiency in both skill sets and know when to use them. Leadership is both an art and a science, isn' it? Continued success, Jeannine.
You need to have a hat with two different fronts that allows you to change to meet the circumstances. Each member of your team will need both leading and managing depending on what is going on. I have found that a good rapport with your team allows you to move from one roll to another and also allows the team members to understand where they stand. There are always areas that will need to managed but you should always find ways to make your team stronger through leading them as well.
I like the visual of the hat with two different fronts, Richard. It surely does explain that one needs to have skills in both areas as well as to know when to use them (flip the hat around). Thanks for sharing your insights!
It sure is and a delicate balancing act at times as well. I'm hoping this course will help to give me more insight on using them even more efficiently.
I hope so too, Jeannine! It is certainly our goal to help you and others discover new things. Please let me know if there is anything more I can assist with, too.
I believe that a good supervisor needs to be a combination of a manager and a leader. Each individual situation will dictate the percentage of each characteristic you need to take on.
Excellent assessment Elaine! It surely does take both skill sets (management and leadership)along with the knowledge to know which one to use. I'm curious, how do you know which skills to use based on the people involved?
I believe the situation you are facing at times may dictate whether you need to be a manager or a leader. In some situations, a staff may need a leader who can communicate a vision and unite people to work towards the same goals, whereas other situations may already provide a manger with a staff who understands the vision and work well as a team but needs the organization and processes and procedures in place to achieve the goals.
I certainly feel that it is possible to be both a manager and a leader. For example, we learned in lesson one that leadership is the process of influencing an organized group of people toward accomplishing it's goals. Someone who is both a leader and a manager will not only create a vision and align the staff behind the vision, but as an effective manager the individual will be able to establish and plan a process and procedure towards achieving the goals of that vision.
Great insight, Kevin. In many instances, the specific situation often dictates whether you approach from a management or leadership point of view. It sounds like you recognize the importance of reading a situation to determine how you might react in the most effective manner, does that sound about right?
I agree that different situations require you to be a manager or a leader. Overall, your staff may need a leader who has a vision and can inspire and motivate the team to work together towards a common goal. However, you also need to be an effective manager to organize and influence the team and put in place an effective process to achieve the organization's goals and vision.
Excellent awareness, Sandi. As the leader you do have the opportunity to help the team understand the vision and goals that it is working toward. However, without an effective process, it may be difficult to acheive or exceed those goals. Let me ask you, which role do you prefer, the leader or manager, and what do you think contributes to your preference?
I think I enjoy both but I prefer the leadership role when possible. I think my personality and my past experiences contribute to this preference. I know different people are motivated by different things and that is why it is so important to know each of your team memebers' strengths. I do not like to micro-manage people. I enjoy empowering them to follow established process and set high goals for them. Unfortunately, people do not always perform at the same levels. Therefore, although I enjoy being a leader, I also have to be a manager at all times. Change is imminent and the process I set in place last year may not work this year when faced with new challenges. Also people do not always perform at the same levels when faced with change. Therefore you have to manage the process and work with them to make sure they are focused on achieving the goals.
Thanks for sharing, Sandi. It sounds to me like you've got a solid hold on your leadership and management approaches in a variety of situations. I can also appreciate the fact that you recognize that your team members respond differently to change and can adjust your approach in a way to help empower them. Keep up the great work.
