Leaders have charisma, managers are more real everyday people
Leaders apparently have great vision and can raise the aspirations and expectations of their followers. Managers are expected to use logic, reasoning, prior education, etc. to analyse a situation.
Leaders are more involved with the team they lead, in more ways than one while managers tend to be more work-oriented and less personal
Within the corporate scenario, managers and leaders can coexist happily, provided they are identified and allowed to function within the laid down parameters. The corporate world looks for leadership qualities in its top honchos so that they could be given positions of authority without losing valuable people and of course, without losing business.
The transition Can a workaday manager become a leader of men? Is it possible to make the transition without too much of a fuss? It is obvious that a manager cannot suddenly acquire charisma but can work on acquiring some kind of skill required to lead his team. You have three types of leaders to choose from. Check for yourself which one suits you the best:
Authoritarian – Dominating, autocratic and insecure. This guy is definitely not respected by his subordinates
Participative – Democratic, respected and secure but weak. This guy runs a happy and satisfied team which may not necessarily be effectively productive
Nurturing Task Leader – Active, strong, firm, encouraging and appreciative of subordinates’ activities. This guy is the effective one because he is firm, yet is not autocratic and dominating!
Now, for all practical purposes, it is obvious that the third type would be the best. If you happen to be an authoritarian person by nature and love to dominate the scene, then you have to learn to relax and be more accepting of other people’s views. This cannot happen overnight. It is something that requires a lot of practice and patience, but then if you want the top job, you could acquire the virtue! But one thing is sure; an authoritarian manager is no longer the last word. If you do not change, then you will be as dated as the dodo!
A participative or democratic manager can become a better leader of his men if he can manage to keep a firm check on the bottom line. He has to produce the goods; it is not enough to have a happy team! So, with a little toughening up, the changeover can be easy. The basics are already in place but a streamlining of the attitude will make the difference! Well, the ideal leadership qualities can be ingrained in one, if the mind is willing to accept and change for the betterment of the individual.
The other side of the coin
What about the subordinates’ views about or expectations from the leader? What are the qualities that the younger person is looking for? In the Indian scenario, we place a great deal of value on emotional ties. We look for a big brother to learn from or to look up to. So, a subordinate wants nurturing, personal attention and help from superiors in problem solving. He wants to be recognised and appreciated. He wants his leader to know him and understand his problems also— more of a role of a confidant or a big brother. He wants mutual trust and transparency as well. At the same time, when he does his bit well, he is also looking for due credits – nothing fancy, maybe just a few kind words of appreciation!
Now that you have both sides of the story, care to become a leader or are you happy being a manager?