Balancing Management and Leadership

In the previous article, we discussed the differences between management and leadership. While the two have many differences, it is important to remember that management and leadership are not mutually exclusive. A manager can display leadership qualities, and a leader can display management skills. The key is to find a balance between the two. Let me tell a story to help integrate management and leadership.

When Johnny was promoted from senior analyst to supervisor, he was the most junior supervisory team member and had no management experience. He was a high-performing employee and had systems in place to achieve great success, but he lacked experience in implementing these systems on his team.

In the first few months, Johnny's team was near the bottom of all the other teams for overall performance. Johnny was upset and frustrated by this because he had never experienced low-performing results throughout his career. He knew his systems worked for him, so why couldn't his team do the same thing? When asked by his boss why his team was underperforming, he answered he did not know why. He initially blamed his team for not following his direction but admitted that his lack of experience as a manager might have something to do with this.

Nathan, his boss, told Johnny "I was in your shoes at one point: I was great when I was a solo performer, and struggled to be a supervisor. However, I quickly realized in order to be successful, I needed to understand the balance between management and leadership." Johnny, being the high performer he is, whipped out a notebook and a pen and began taking down notes as furiously as possible.

Nathan further advised by saying "You were a great employee and had systems that worked for you; but have you considered that one size may not fit all for your team's needs? How well do you know your team, Johnny?" "Honestly, not very well. I just assumed my systems would work regardless of whoever used them..." Nathan laughed, and said, "So did I, Johnny. I made that same mistake. It's okay! Your system has a track record of working for a reason, that's part of why I made you a supervisor. Managers need effective systems to implement." Johnny continued writing notes but was still not sure what the solution was.

Nathan continued talking: "start by developing relationships with your team and getting to know their strengths and weaknesses. This would help you to better manage tasks and delegate responsibilities appropriately." "That way, you can see how to adapt and implement your systems to tailor to the needs of your employees." Johnny's eyes lit up as if a light bulb went off in his head. "Wow! That's a great point! I never thought of it that way." Johnny proclaimed.

Nathan spoke up again, "That is the hallmark of good management, Johnny. Adaptability and efficiency with their systems. But that is only half the puzzle; you must balance leadership and management." Confused, Johnny asked, "How do I do that?"

"A good manager and a good leader can be one-in-the-same person, Johnny. Leadership picks up where management leaves off; once those systems are in place, and the work is delegated, a leader then steps in to encourage and support their team throughout the work process." "Okay..." Johnny said hesitantly, "what does that look like in practice?" Nathan replied, "remember I said to develop better relationships with your team?" Johnny nodded. "Well, that would be the time to better understand what you need to do to ensure their success. Remember, their success is your success! Maybe that means more words of encouragement, or maybe that means changing the energy on your team to positive when they are stressed out. The key point here is understanding your team's needs, and being there when they need you."

Nathan took a deep breath and paused, then said "Being a great leader and manager is a balancing act, Johnny. But the secret to that balance is knowing when to be analytical, and when to be more...well, human!" Nathan laughed, and Johnny followed suit as well.

"Thank you, Nathan," Johnny said. "I am taking this advice to heart, and will let you know if I have any questions." Nathan smiled and said "I know you will Johnny; you have the tools to be a great manager and leader. I trust you will implement what I've told you today into action. My last piece of advice is this: trust your team to do the same with your advice to them." Johnny nodded with a smile and went home for the evening.

Within 2 months, Johnny's team went from near the bottom to the very top of the list for performance. Johnny got to know his team better, adapted his systems to fit his team, and made himself more available for assistance whenever his team needed him. Most importantly, he trusted that his team would follow his advice; which lead to outstanding performance results.