CEOs, managers, and executives from diverse set of industries around the globe responded to a question that asked them to describe the key differences between great business leaders and great business managers - you'll be surprised what Zpryme found.
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Forty-two CEOs, managers, and executives from organizations around the world responded to a question that asked them to describe the key differences between great business leaders and great business managers.
Interestingly, there were over three times as many descriptors for leaders (n = 91) as there were for managers (n = 28). Perhaps this difference is explained be the seemingly high value the business world places upon great leaders. The descriptors for both leaders and managers are listed below in descending order with corresponding frequencies in parentheses.
Leaders
* Share/deploy a vision (16)
* Inspirational (9)
* Have followers (7)
* Great interpersonal skills (5)
* Excellent communicator, Leaders do the right thing, Risk taker (all had 4 each)
* Creative thinker/outside the box (3)
* Humility, Create zone of confidence, Charismatic, Tomorrow-oriented, Builds trust (all had 2 each)
* Honest, Modest, Eyes on the prize, Integrity, Boldness, Commitment, Confidence, Always thinking, Surround themselves with great talent, Hires those better than him/her, All about influence, Creates values, Leads by example, Builds excitement, Captures the imagination, Functions in crisis environment, Does not conform, Creates his/her own path, Has desire to lead, Over-achiever, Seeks change, Takes initiative, Being effective, Design the route (to travel), Accountable, Keeps others focused on goal 24/7, Are great teachers, Know how to delegate (all were separate single descriptors).
Managers
* Do things right (4)
* Get things done, Tell people what to do (both had 2 each)
* Guide/set goals, Discipline/perseverance, Super organized, Focus on effectiveness/efficiency, Care about profits, Herd/push others, Function in non-turbulent environment, Turn vision into actionable goals, Today-oriented, Define vision’s strategies, Follows path of leader, Seeks order, Executes actions, Maintains/administers, Relies on control, Focus on stuff, Drives the vehicle, Lacks vision, Coercive power of position, Keeps others focused on goal 9 – 5 (all were separate single descriptors).
A quick inspection of the popular business literature revealed that there is a vast array of discussions about leadership versus management. In fact, Google had over 7.8 million entries for “leadership versus managing.” Four internet sites (archive.managernewz.com, management-issues.com, changingminds.org, coach4growth.com) were briefly reviewed to assess whether new insights could be obtained (beyond those described by the 42 respondents). The articles reflect that the most effective leaders possess a balance between management and leadership skills and that true leaders exude energy. Leaders were also described as those who anticipate problems and opportunities and sought to reinvent the organization. Managers, on the other hand, were viewed as those whose goal was to maintain the status quo. Interesting research was reported that mangers tend to come from stable homes with normal and comfortable lives which prompt them to be risk-averse and to avoid conflict. Many leaders have had some form of handicap in their lives which they had to overcome. Some leaders had traumatic childhoods while others were shorter than average. Leaders were transformational and built new roads, while managers were transactional and used existing roads. In many organizations the managers were often previous high performers at the employee level. Leaders were described as very adept in the art of emotional intelligence.
Many times, there is a thin line between successful leaders and managers, and great managers can also be great leaders as well. In fact, in today’s business world success favors those who exhibit both sets of characteristics. A last, long-debated issue involves whether or not leadership skills can be taught, with several proponents on each side of that debate. Probably, those who have leadership potential can have those skills sharpened by properly taught lessons through devoted mentorship.
by Roger Alford, Ph.D., Sr Research Advisor
For more information please contact us at +1 888.ZPRYME.1 or email us at info zpryme.com; subject line: Leaders vs. Managers
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