The Management Show — How To Make Space For Leadership?

What we can learn from running a circus

Nowadays, many articles, blog posts or interviews are about Leadership, and it often appears to be used interchangeably with Management.

Disclaimer: These words are not synonymous. (The way I see it!)

The word Management originates from the Latin words ‘manus’ and ‘agere’ — meaning “lead by the hand”. Also, did you know that it has the same roots as the word Manege (circus ring)? Cynics might even go as far as to claim that a company is basically a big circus with a manager who keeps all employees on the reins.

A glance back

The Industrial Revolution manifested the detachment of medieval means of production. It ushered the beginning of large organizations and to a certain extent globalization. Given the ever-growing labor force, someone was needed to guide and manage interdependent tasks. Consequently, the effective manager became paramount.

Until today, a manager knows what is going on and makes decisions based on all given information. He or she ensures steadiness, order, and consistency to secure a company’s stability.

How does that correlate with today’s work?

We already faced a shift from mechanical manufacturing work to knowledge-based work. When you think of your immediate surroundings, it is noticeable that many people you know have some sort of academic background. Most of them studied something that has to do with management, or management was even the name of the studies.

Isn’t it quite difficult now to justify “The Management” or “The One Manager” when most employees in the company have studied exactly that?

That could be one of the reasons why employees with those studies no longer accept the authority of managers. It doesn’t make it easier that tasks in large companies have strong interdependencies. These people often criticize the management style or think they would do it better. Here’s my question:

Can a circus without artists to be kept on the reins exist, but with many circus directors?

From my perspective, companies face this situation on a daily basis. And most of the time, this leads to dissatisfaction and unproductiveness when a superior who you do not accept/respect coordinates things over your head, decides and tells you what to do.
However, we’ve noticed that good management makes sure all the artists do what they are supposed to do in the planned sequence, reliably delivering a solid show.

Doesn’t that call for a shake-up?

A call for someone who still has an overview of things, but does not micro-manage them and lets us work on our responsibility? Someone who leads us to the most efficient and productive direction?

Identifying the shift

The most important fact: a leader is not necessarily your superior or your boss! Ask yourself, if you are capable of being a leader or if you’re able to identify a great one?

• Great leaders don’t create business plans, they set a direction while living a company’s vision. Success stories and achievements are celebrated and employees feel like an integral part of the organization they’re working in.
• Great leaders don’t over-manage, they involve employees in decision-making processes and align people with each other.
• Great leaders don’t engineer, they simply motivate and appreciate other people in their company. It helps them to grow better self-esteem.
• Last but not least, a great leader is capable of creating an intrinsic motivation in other people.

One question that might have arisen so far: Is a leader an altruistic manager who has a clear position but can be talked to?

Of course, we find some difficulties. The conventional management tries to prevent and avoid risks in the best possible way to run successful businesses, while leadership seems to be more risk-friendly by delegating responsibilities.

• What happens if the same person is the boss and at the same time has a leader personality?
• What if the “boss side” has hard goals to achieve but the “leader side” delegates responsibility and wants to develop further potential in the meantime? Which side dominates then? Can both “sides” coexist equally?

An inner conflict arises…

Let’s consider another situation: Manager and Leader is not the same person. And to be more dramatic, the manager is a conservative boss who doesn’t welcome change. How much can a leader be in charge then? Who will people listen to more?

Does anyone have an answer to that?

Conclusion

Good management is still necessary to successfully run businesses. That is the basis on which we can build.

Nevertheless, yesterday’s achievements are no longer an assurance for today’s success. We recognize that we cannot rest on our past laurels and furthermore, we cannot use this as a basis to predict the future.

Major shifts in your company are necessary to survive in an ever-changing environment. Nowadays, many jobs, roles, functions, and tasks are changing and will continue to change in the future.

We cannot say how exactly yet, but one thing is for sure: It requires someone who leads every employee, every team and every organization through that change — again and again.

I am Lea-Sophie, a team member of 1789 — Beyond Revolution and currently a full-time Master of Business Administration student at the Philipp University of Marburg. Do you agree or disagree with my thoughts in the article? Let me know your opinion!