Five Questions on Leadership
Recently, a few of my employees were asked some questions as part of a leadership development program that they were participating in. I thought that this was a great opportunity to discuss how I would respond to these same questions. This lead to a great team discussion. Below are the questions and my responses.
Share an example of an outstanding leader in the public sector. How is this person’s contribution different from that of a manager’s? Is such a distinction important?
The late Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a great example of someone who showed outstanding leadership in the public sector. Independent of your political opinions, one cannot argue the tremendous influence she has had on America. She is often referred to as a hero, visionary, and dissenter of societal norms. She spent a significant portion of her career challenging the status quo and tackling difficult issues.
Are good leaders necessarily good managers, and vice versa? Why or why not?
No. Management and leadership are two different things. Leadership has to do with one’s ability to inspire and influence others. Leadership is about creating a vision that other’s want to be a part of. Management on the other hand has to do with the efficient organization and use of resources, such as people. A good manager may be great at establishing procedures, improving processes, and allocating work amongst team members, however, this would not necessarily make them a good leader.
What one Leadership trait can change the fate of an organization?
A leader needs to have the ability to create a vision that can inspire and motivate others to action. If a leader fails to create a vision and is unable to convince others to believe it, the organization will likely struggle to succeed.
What one managerial trait can change the fate of an organization?
A good manager is one that can effectively supervise and coach employees in order to bring about their best work. Therefore, a manager’s ability to provide the right kind of feedback at the right time is key to an organization’s success.
How to leadership and management complement each other?
Good leadership can create and inspire a vision and good management can help to carry out the tasks needed to realize that vision. An individual or team of employees will often need traits and qualities from both the leadership and management perspectives to be successful in achieving goals.