Let’s look at the difference between managing and leading. The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably—such as when people refer to someone in a management position as a leader—but there are important distinctions.
The difference between managing and leading is the difference between doing things right versus doing the right things. Doing things right means being efficient. Doing the right things means being effective. Sales
Sales leaders really need a combination of both attributes. You need to do
the right things right
. You need a combination of effectiveness and efficiency. In either case, if you are
Account managers tend to an account. Account leaders create business. They line up support behind their proposals. They create support and commitment. They create excitement.
Leadership requires aligning and enabling people. The objective is to create options for effectively handling unpredictable situations. Leadership is focused on developing capabilities to address multiple scenarios and to have the right individuals embrace the challenges of identifying and executing those scenarios.
The differences in results between managing and leading are like the differences between night and day. And, just like night and day, we need both. We need leadership in times of change. The more change there is, the more leadership we need. The more change that has to take place, the more we need leaders. Yet we also need to be able to manage our resources wisely.
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The key for any leader is to be adaptable enough to recognize when he or she needs to use a different style and to work comfortably in that style. The people who have the most difficulty are the ones who get locked into a style that is not the best one for the situation they face or the people they are working with. The people who are the most successful are those with the
Some people confuse leadership and loyalty, thinking that if you follow their directions you have leadership ability. It doesn’t take a lot of thinking, decision making, or initiative to follow directions—it takes
loyalty
. Managers usually value loyalty, even above competency. It’s not surprising when you think about it. If you gave someone instructions to do something and he or she didn’t do it quite right, you would give the person credit for at least following your directions. But if you instructed someone to do something and that person not only intentionally didn’t do what you asked but also didn’t tell you about not doing it, your reaction would be different. You would be mystified, annoyed, or
In a military operation, people need to follow directions or there will be confusion and loss. But even in the military, a commander must be able not only to follow orders but to communicate, initiate, and inspire the troops to do their best when it’s most difficult to do so.
Sometimes, people choose not to follow a particular directive but still get the results the director wanted. In that case, their indiscretion will likely be overlooked. In fact, it may be seen as “being resourceful.” This trait may be valued because the person is still supporting the company in accomplishing an objective, even though he or she may not have done it in a conventional way. You could say the person was demonstrating an aspect of leadership. People will say about these situations “It is easier to beg
Some bosses don’t even go this far in granting people the autonomy to figure out how to do their jobs. They