when i lead, when i manage.
It is a wonderful and inspiring feeling to be in the presence of a great leader. I have been fortunate to have worked with exceptional leaders in school, church and work settings who have exposed me to diverse styles of leadership. I have also, however, been in stifling and dull environments supervised by leaders who fail to stimulate creativity, neglect the needs of their followers, and fail to unite others to press on toward reaching goals. There are myriad definitions, terms, and theories that explore the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of “leaders” and many interpretations of the verb “to lead.” Leadership is a fascinating subject to explore for personal reflection and growth.
There are endless definitions of “leadership” because we all look for different qualities in leaders. One way to describe leadership is that it is a non-linear process in which an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal (Northouse, 2013, p. 5). Kevin Kruse (2013) defines leadership as “a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal.”
The role of leader must not be taken lightly. The individual who accepts this role must meet some important and specific criteria. A leader must embody certain skills, knowledge, personality traits, passions and motivations to lead others. I would argue that experience is not necessarily required to become a leader because I believe that everyone, regardless of position or title leads in a unique capacity. A leader must have a passion for serving others, being vulnerable, taking risks and having the courage to fail. He or she must be prepared to be on a journey of personal transformation and leadership development for a lifetime. A leader must also have self awareness, self-direction, social awareness, vision, and the ability to motivate others (What is "Leadership" and What Makes a Good Leader?, 2013).
Mim Carlson and Margaret Donohoe's book, The Executive Director's Guide to Thriving as a Nonprofit Leader (2010), helped me discern the differences between leadership and management. A manager focuses on "efficiency, effectiveness, and making sure the right things happen at the right time" (p. 9). A manager is responsible for setting performance objectives with staff as well as fulfilling duties such as preparing budgets and reviewing and creating action plans, fundraising strategies, and programming. On the other hand, according to the authors, a leader is “a strategist, a visionary, and someone who inspires others to greatness” (p. 9). Additionally, leaders serve as role models, inspire donors to give, build community in and outside of the organization, and create safe environments where learning and growth can occur.
Although currently I am neither in a managerial position nor a position of significant power within my workplace, church, or my daily life, I know that I embody leadership traits and possess competencies of an effective manager. Put another way, I consider myself a leader with a lower-case “L” and a manager with a lower-case “M.” I would categorize my leadership style as “authentic,” defined as “a pattern of transparent and ethical leader behavior that encourages openness in sharing information needed to make decisions while accepting others’ input” (from Module 1 wiki quizlet). I value the opinions and ideas of others and rely on others’ strengths to balance my weaknesses. In situations in which I have followers, or I am charged with completing a project, I tend to maintain focus on both relationship building and task orientation.
I have not held many management positions in title. Presently, the only management or leadership position I hold is an unofficial management position, akin to a Shift Supervisor position, in the department in the co-op in which I work. Although I lack formal management training, I have insights on effective management from my previous personal experiences with former and current bosses and leaders. I am both people- and task-oriented. My interpersonal skills among my co-workers and peers make me likeable, trusted, and respected. I am an organized, dependable, hard, and steady worker and derive pleasure from putting forth my best effort in all tasks. I have a positive outlook on life and can use my energy for self-motivation and motivate others to perform to the best of their ability. I have an awareness of the “human action that enables a system to produce useful outcomes” (from Module 1 wiki quizlet).
I possess strengths that will help me in future leadership and management positions. I am a creative-thinker and problem-solver, can help develop a vision, and can execute detailed and thorough plans to reach goals and achieve a vision. I believe my leadership and management styles are similar. In spite of various weaknesses, I predict that I will be more confident in being open to taking on leadership responsibilities in the future; I see my weaknesses as opportunities for personal growth and transformation. It is imperative that a leader have a confidence in one’s own ability to lead to easily pull back and focus on the big picture of, or vision for, the “greater good” of one’s organization/group of followers, yet have the flexibility to relinquish power to one’s followers.
There are endless definitions of “leadership” because we all look for different qualities in leaders. One way to describe leadership is that it is a non-linear process in which an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal (Northouse, 2013, p. 5). Kevin Kruse (2013) defines leadership as “a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal.”
The role of leader must not be taken lightly. The individual who accepts this role must meet some important and specific criteria. A leader must embody certain skills, knowledge, personality traits, passions and motivations to lead others. I would argue that experience is not necessarily required to become a leader because I believe that everyone, regardless of position or title leads in a unique capacity. A leader must have a passion for serving others, being vulnerable, taking risks and having the courage to fail. He or she must be prepared to be on a journey of personal transformation and leadership development for a lifetime. A leader must also have self awareness, self-direction, social awareness, vision, and the ability to motivate others (What is "Leadership" and What Makes a Good Leader?, 2013).
Mim Carlson and Margaret Donohoe's book, The Executive Director's Guide to Thriving as a Nonprofit Leader (2010), helped me discern the differences between leadership and management. A manager focuses on "efficiency, effectiveness, and making sure the right things happen at the right time" (p. 9). A manager is responsible for setting performance objectives with staff as well as fulfilling duties such as preparing budgets and reviewing and creating action plans, fundraising strategies, and programming. On the other hand, according to the authors, a leader is “a strategist, a visionary, and someone who inspires others to greatness” (p. 9). Additionally, leaders serve as role models, inspire donors to give, build community in and outside of the organization, and create safe environments where learning and growth can occur.
Although currently I am neither in a managerial position nor a position of significant power within my workplace, church, or my daily life, I know that I embody leadership traits and possess competencies of an effective manager. Put another way, I consider myself a leader with a lower-case “L” and a manager with a lower-case “M.” I would categorize my leadership style as “authentic,” defined as “a pattern of transparent and ethical leader behavior that encourages openness in sharing information needed to make decisions while accepting others’ input” (from Module 1 wiki quizlet). I value the opinions and ideas of others and rely on others’ strengths to balance my weaknesses. In situations in which I have followers, or I am charged with completing a project, I tend to maintain focus on both relationship building and task orientation.
I have not held many management positions in title. Presently, the only management or leadership position I hold is an unofficial management position, akin to a Shift Supervisor position, in the department in the co-op in which I work. Although I lack formal management training, I have insights on effective management from my previous personal experiences with former and current bosses and leaders. I am both people- and task-oriented. My interpersonal skills among my co-workers and peers make me likeable, trusted, and respected. I am an organized, dependable, hard, and steady worker and derive pleasure from putting forth my best effort in all tasks. I have a positive outlook on life and can use my energy for self-motivation and motivate others to perform to the best of their ability. I have an awareness of the “human action that enables a system to produce useful outcomes” (from Module 1 wiki quizlet).
I possess strengths that will help me in future leadership and management positions. I am a creative-thinker and problem-solver, can help develop a vision, and can execute detailed and thorough plans to reach goals and achieve a vision. I believe my leadership and management styles are similar. In spite of various weaknesses, I predict that I will be more confident in being open to taking on leadership responsibilities in the future; I see my weaknesses as opportunities for personal growth and transformation. It is imperative that a leader have a confidence in one’s own ability to lead to easily pull back and focus on the big picture of, or vision for, the “greater good” of one’s organization/group of followers, yet have the flexibility to relinquish power to one’s followers.
The following phrase neatly captures the distinction between managing and leading: “when you are a leader, you work from the heart … as a manager, you work from the head” (Carlson & Donohoe, 2010, p.9). I connect strongly with this phrase and feel as though it puts into words how I experience leadership and management. I created the graphic above to illustrate how I view being a leader and a manager.
references
Carlson, M., & Donohoe, M. (2010). The executive director's guide to thriving as a nonprofit leader (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Kruse, K. (2013). What is Leadership? Retrieved July 15, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2013/04/09/what-is-leadership/
Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks: SAGE.
What is "Leadership" and What Makes a Good Leader? (2013). Retrieved July 21, 2015, from http://siyli.org/what-is-leadership-what-makes-good-leader/
Kruse, K. (2013). What is Leadership? Retrieved July 15, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2013/04/09/what-is-leadership/
Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks: SAGE.
What is "Leadership" and What Makes a Good Leader? (2013). Retrieved July 21, 2015, from http://siyli.org/what-is-leadership-what-makes-good-leader/