leaders or managers op 09

Leaders or Managers

What is the difference?

Hillary Jenkins, Otago Polytechnic

The biggest difference is the

way leaders or managers

motivate others

Leader

• has followers

• has vision

• sets direction

• takes new roads

• is responsible for change

• is passionate

• sells ideas

• builds structure

Manager

• has subordinates

• objectives to follow

• follows existing roads

• plans the details

• is responsible for stability

• keeps control

• tells ideas

• maintains the structure

Is it possible to be both a leader and a manager?

The short answer is yes

While they are quite different roles, a person can be both

Lets take a closer look at Leadership…

Leadership can be learned

Traits of a leader

• Need for achievement –likes responsibility and works hard to succeed

• Intelligence – have good reasoning, thinking capacity and judgement

• Decisiveness – makes difficult decisions without hesitation

• Self Confidence – having a positive self image

• Initiative – getting jobs done with minimal supervision

• Supervisory ability – gets the job done through others

Traits of a leader

Need for achievement

Intelligence

Decisiveness

Self Confidence

Supervisory ability

Rate yourselves from 1-10 on the above traits, (10 being excellent 1 being pretty bad) then add all the numbers together to get an

over all score

Now check your score as an effective leader:

54-60 Outstanding

42-53 Very Good

30-41 Good

6-29 Needs a bit of work

Four Styles of Leadership

• Autocratic

• Democratic

• Laissez Faire

• Charismatic

Autocratic

• dominates team members

• makes decisions on their own

• quick to praise or punish

Democratic

• consults team members for decision making

• values team members

• Empowers people to direct themselves

Laissez faire

• minimum leadership

• appropriate when the team are all highly skilled & have

proven performance

• allows visionary workers to excel

Charismatic

• Good listeners & information gatherers

• create a sense of purpose that is motivating and inspiring

• makes everyone feel important

Choosing the right style

• Styles are influenced by a leaders experience

• One size does not fit all

• Style depends on qualities of leader, characteristics of audience, and nature of situation

Laissez Faire – Democratic – Autocratic

Decisions of minor consequence OR Major consequence

Few environmental dangers OR many environmental dangers

Competent individuals OR Incompetent individuals

Proficient Leadership within OR Deficient leadership within group

Unified group OR Divided group

In summary an effective leader is:

• A director and a motivator

• An implementer and an innovator

• A mentor and a team builder

• An expert and a moral force

• An organizer and a developer of people

These are the great challenges of an expert leader…