You’re running your own business and the time comes when you have to take on a member of staff for the first time. What kind of boss are you going to be?
Are you a Manager or a Leader?
The world has changed. There used to be a time when being a manager was enough. You gave instructions. People followed them. You got to tell them what you thought they were doing wrong. You got to be ‘right’ just because you managed them.Now we find ourselves in a consumer age. An age where the people who work for you can be seen as your customers, and if customer satisfaction is not high you can bet that productivity won’t be either.The old style manager approach was that of parent/child. Bosses knew best and they had all the power. Employees frequently had ‘tantrums’ and quite literally took their bat and ball home (absence from the workplace costs billions of pounds each year).So what’s the difference between a manager and a leader and how do you compare?
Engagement
Managers tell their people what to do, with little room for anyone else’s opinion and a ‘my way or the highway’ approach.Leaders coach their people through shared vision. They inspire, they invite debate, they are prepared to be challenged and most importantly are capable of being influenced as well as influencing. They find no shame in acknowledging a better way of doing something.
Task Focus vs Opportunity Focus
Managers are great at saying what has to happen by measuring tasks. “You must sell ‘x’ more units”, “I don’t want you to be sick again this month” or “Ensure all the invoices are completed by Wednesday”.Leaders retain the accountability for task completion, and they do this by supporting their people through coaching around how the task can be achieved – not just stating that it has to be.
Using the scenarios above a leader would ensure through coaching; that the person knew how to sell more, or explored what they could do to improve their attendance or see what support was needed to ensure the invoices were done. Leaders ensure that people are in the best place to succeed rather than set up to fail, they step beyond the ‘I shouldn’t have to tell somebody how to do their job’ mentality and into a ‘I want this person to be absolutely clear what needs to be done and have explored how they can do it’ mentality.
Questions which great leaders ask their people:
What’s your current level of performance?
How can you improve further?
What needs to be done?
How will you do it?
What else could you try?
What if that doesn’t work?
What support do you need from me?
What’s the impact of failure?
So how can you make the step from manager to leader?
Decide to! Mind set is a big part of this
Ask your people how you can improve and be prepared to hear what they say
Learn new skills - there are hundreds of books which cover the topic, the International Coach Federation is able to recommend training courses or you can work 1-1 with an coach.
Expert Advice by Simon Ireland-Davies, Striding Out Business Coach
