Inc.com’s Boss School blog discusses a topic that seems like it might be a distinction without a difference – leadership vs. management. However, I think the author hits a perfect chord right at the start:
Leadership isn’t the same thing as management. Leadership is about providing vision as to where the company is going. It’s about inspiring and motivating. It’s about instilling a certain amount of comfort that someone wiser than you is going to figure a way out of a mess.
I often think of managing as being somewhat akin to being a zookeeper. You keep things in order and provide needed resources. That’s not the greatest metaphor, but you get the idea. Back to the blog post – here is the observation that caught me attention:
Don’t get me wrong. I think everyone wants a fearless leader. But I also think there’s a fine line between sounding positive and sounding delusional. You lose credibility. Done in the proper manner, an honest “negative” appraisal of a difficult situation can be positive if it leads to a good plan of action. It is an opportunity to show the staff that you are critical of yourself and take responsibility.
It is unnerving to work for a leader who seems out of touch with reality. Leaders who refuse to address the realities of the situation are problematic. They refuse to acknowledge the present realities which leads to a lack of corrective actions. We’ve seen a handful of companies absolutely crater under this type of leadership.