The quality of leadership, more than any other single factor, determines the success or failure of an organization.
Fred Fiedler & Martin Chemers
As we move deeper into a world recession, it will be the individuals and businesses that demonstrate consistent leadership that survive. If you aren’t concerned about strategies for survival in these challenging economic times – the same applies, leaders will come out on top.
So what is a leader, and what is a manager?
A manager manages an existing system or process; it may be a team of people or a production line, the commonality being that the activity has been done before and there will likely be known steps and systems and procedures to follow.
A manager is not there to make changes, at least not big changes; managers are there to manage. The manager’s role is to get the task done as efficiently and as profitably as he or she can.
Unlike the manager, leaders make change; they challenge the status quo. Leaders don’t simply do things the way they have been done before; they have a broader vision. Because of this, a leader has the ability to conceive of new ways to do things or even new things to do.
The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.
Henry Kissinger
We cannot all be leaders, just as we cannot all be managers. But what we all need in difficult times is leadership.
Ask yourself this question:
Do I manage or do I lead?
If you are the owner of the business, you should be the leader in your organization. Even if you are a sole trader, having a leadership mentality is the key that will help take you and your business from ordinary to extraordinary.
Leadership is not something most people are born with. You don’t have to be charismatic to be a great leader. What sets leaders apart is combination of traits, all of which can be learnt and practiced.
To find out more, see out page on leadership coaching or contact us to find out precisely how we can help you become the leader you want to be.
If your are in a small or micro business our mentoring groups offer the most cost effective solutions to help you grow your business.
About the Author
Chris Edwards is an Executive Coach who specialises in Staff Performance and Leadership Development. He is the youngest 'City2Surf Legend', and as a personal coach, he will apply the same focus and tenacity toward helping you achieve your goals as has powered him over the line year after year.To discover how you can benefit from working with a personal performance coach, Contact Chris at Life7 to discuss your unique requirements.
Last 5 posts by Chris Edwards
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