Who are you, a Manager or a Leader?
“Every good leader is a part manager and every good manager is a part leader.”
Most of the people feel they are in a quandary when asked the question, “Do you see yourself as a leader or a manager?” The answer to this question is not so easy because these two are like the sides of the same coin. The following instance highlights the clear distinction between the two terms- a manager would say “ Go!” and a leader, on the other hand would say “Let’s Go!”. In simple words, one can say that leadership is all about creating a vision and fueling individuals with the enthusiasm to traverse the journey together and managing is about delegating responsibilities and building a hierarchical structure of power. So now the question that arises is who are you, a manager or a leader? Choices are in-built with trade off, one has to bear the opportunity cost by choosing one and leaving the other option. But in this situation, there is a third alternative to this problem. One can acquire such skills that can help one to adapt to the changing situations i.e., skills which can provide a blend of both manager and a leader.
The cure of this problem lies in MBA- which is a pill with the ingredients of both managerial skills and leadership abilities. Following are the 5 skills that only you acquire only through an MBA.
1. Team Work- 2 years of MBA is not only about academics but is also filled with various events, group projects and assignments. This is where the seed of team spirit is sown. People not only come from diverse cultures but also from varied professional backgrounds. You can see a North Indian teaming up with South Indian and a B Tech graduate organizing events with a person of humanities background. Such events and projects not only help one to expand one’s knowledge but also helps one to inculcate various managerial and leadership skills like cooperation, coordination, patience, learning to cope with stressful situations, opening up to diverse opinions and having a blend of authoritarian and democratic styles.
2. Decision Making- Strategic thinking and critical analysis are one of the important skills that MBA teaches. Various case studies and simulations help one to make important decisions as if one was dealing with them in real life. It helps one to change one’s perspective and way of approaching a problem. Both a leader and a manager have long term objectives in mind and this can only be achieved if one knows the importance and ability of forecasting and expectations. Not only this, various opportunities in MBA bring out the importance of negotiation but also helps one to learn the knitty gritties of bargaining power resulting in a win win situation.
3. Creativity and Innovation- In today’s world, in order to make a mark, one needs to stand out and thinking creatively and innovatively helps one to think out of the box. These two things can never be taught. However, as the phrase goes, “ Practice makes a man perfect”, so with the help of all the activities in MBA life, one gets the opportunity to think creatively and eventually it forms into a habit. Both leaders and managers are where they are because they brought something different on the table than anyone else. For example various startups that are booming are perfect examples of how creatively one can tap the unchartered arena and fulfill the needs of the people.
4. Time Management- One of the key abilities of a leader and a manager is to manage time and learn to prioritize work. It has rightly been said that we all have 24 hours and what makes a person different from other is how well one utilizes it. During the tenure of MBA, this is one of the most important skills that a person learns. It does not mean that there is some magic wand in MBA through which everyone can perfectly manage time but the course structure is made in such a way that one can learn the art of effectively managing time. Corporate life is full of situations that will be demanding a person’s attention toward various tasks that all may seem equally important. For such situations, MBA makes a person ready to deal with the situation calmly and smartly.
5. Communication Skills- John Powell said, “ Communication works for those who work at it.” Most of the people are aware about the importance of communication but very less people make an effort to improve upon their interpersonal skills. MBA is not all about learning analytical and technical skills but it also gives equal weightage to soft skills. MBA has often been equated as a breeding ground for expanding networking skills and there is no doubt that one of the first step in networking is to have a proper communication. It’s not enough for a leader or a manager to have knowledge but what matters is how well he can communicate it with others. It is very important for all the team members to strive towards a common goal and objective and a leader can ensure this through effective communication channel in the workplace.
One can argue that one can learn these skills in various undergraduate and postgraduate courses and not necessarily in MBA. There is no denying to the fact that various other courses might teach some of the skills but it is only MBA that can provide all these 5 skills that are necessary to climb the ladder of success. Moreover, MBA cannot be termed as a course, it itself is a journey of 2 years which makes one ready to combat problems in the corporate world. It is only through MBA that a person can learn to become both a leader and a manager. So next time if you find yourself in the same dilemma you know where to find the pill!
