A Leader’s Psychology
Leadership has a certain ring to it, but what is the difference between a leader and a manager. Throughout my career I’ve often heard don’t be a manager, be a leader. I’ve read articles criticizing managers, praising leaders, and selling one over the other. What really makes them different and how does becoming one, prevent you from the pitfalls of the other. Why do managers have all these shortcomings and leaders do not? Is it possible to be a good manager and a bad leader? What makes me a leader and why should I care? I’m going to answer some of these questions and lay out what I believe to be the defining characteristic between the two. I’ll leave you to decide whether you believe the merits of one are better than the other.
Managers own their projects and manage the resources they have to execute them. Time, money, and people are resources. A great manager will optimize their employment to attain efficiencies and they do so in incredibly effective ways. Well this doesn’t sound so terrible, so why do we have these terrible images of managers.
I’ve met people, who cringe at the sound of their “managers” footsteps or even their voice. Like a sympathetic reflex, people are reminded of terrible past experiences. “There’s my boss.” “Oh, him? He’s my manager?” “She makes the decisions. She is the manager.” Is a manager simply someone we don’t want to follow or is there more to this? Clearly, they are someone with authority and that can alone can come with resentment. Anyone who may have to make unpopular decisions, push people to get things done, or hold people accountable will likely receive criticism. Although a leader would encounter all of these same challenges, so I don’t think this is the difference.
I’m sure you’ve seen this diagram a typical hierarchical organizational chart and can guess, which ones are the managers. Despite being the boss and organizationally “on top”, I don’t know anyone who likes the idea of being bossed or “beneath” someone else. Yet this is where managers are positioned and if employees like their jobs they will follow and listen. Unfortunately, leaders will most likely be “on top” too. Regardless of whether they psychologically lower themselves to be servant-leaders or fighter-leaders, they are still the one in the relationship with all the power. They can hire, fire, and bark orders, so this doesn’t seem right. Then, what is it?
Let’s look at something we said in the very beginning. Managers own projects and employ resources, like people. When people become resources, there is nothing personal about my relationship with them. They can either accomplish my tasks or they can’t, but either way I’m not invested in them. I’m invested in getting the work done. Great managers may have great people and be able to accomplish great things, but without great people, a manager can only do so much. But a leader is different… and this simple difference is the defining distinction between Managers and Leaders. It all comes down to people.
Leaders own their people. This is actually what makes them a “leader”. Hand a manager a group of misfits and they will be misfits. Hand a leader a group of misfits and he will mold, train, and tap into the rich differences between them to leverage their strengths into a high performing team. This is why they receive the praise, because while they were accomplishing the mission, they fundamentally changed everyone around them. They didn’t just push them. They made them better.
Leaders own their people
Managers and leaders think about, evaluate, and interact with their people differently. This simple, yet powerful, shift in perspective changes the game completely. A leader would say give me coal and I will make diamonds. A manager would say I can’t make money with this lump of coal. As a leader I will find your hidden talents and cultivate your gifts, because this is how we win. This is a leader’s psychology. They see people as the solution and therefore develop different skills and strengths. When someone on their team fails, they take it personally. They learn to identify strengths and weaknesses, cultivate hidden talents, tap into motivations, train, mentor, and guide. They own their ability to help that person succeed and dive right in when they might fall short. If you are the solution to my problem, then my ability to impact your performance becomes my greatest asset. If your success is my success, then I will invest in your growth and drive you to succeed. This is why their people follow them, even love them.
Both managers and leaders may be incredibly effective at accomplishing missions, but the difference is people. A leader is so invested in his people, you wouldn’t even know she was there. They believe accomplishing the mission is not about them. It is about everyone around them. This outlook is so fundamentally different that it has a massive ripple effect, impacting how they act, what they say, and who they are with other people. These seemingly insignificant, yet profound, differences are what make leaders and their lasting impact on us makes them noteworthy and memorable.
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