What is a team leader?  And what makes them effective?  A leader is a person you will follow to a place you wouldn’t go by yourself.  A leader can inspire us to achieve things we did not even think possible.

Managers manage within a paradigm (paradigm enhancement).

Give a good manager the system (the rules, the guiding principles, the standards, the protocols) and he/she will optimize it. We spend 95% of our lives doing just this. It’s slow, methodical evolution.

Leaders, however, lead between paradigms (paradigm shift).

Leaders see the need for change, and understand that something new is needed.  Leaders know that change can be uncomfortable for many.  They know it requires effort and instill the courage in others to follow them. This kind of change occurs during less than 5% of our lives.

Business Challenges for Managers & Leaders

There are two primary challenges that most businesses face when there leaders and managers do not attend to both Leaderhip & Managment roles in a balanced way.

1. Inflexability - Changes are not made when needed - Being stuck in the “paradigm enhancement” mode.
 
This is when there is a need for change do to competition, technology, markets or other considerations and yet your team is continuing on a path determined when circumstances and outlooks were quite different.
This will lead you to continually improve obsolete products and services. Eventually, no one will buy obsolete excellence.

2. Inconsistency - Changes in direction are made too often – Being stuck in the “paradigm shift” mode.

This is when shifts are made and changes in strategic and tactical direction occur too often, missing out on the value of moving up on a learning curve, gains due to scale, and gains due to market good will or other factors.

Roles for Managers & Leaders

The manager administers                         
The leader innovates

The manager has a short-range view   
The leader has a long-range perspective

The manager asks how and when     
The leader asks what and why

The manager has his eye on the bottom line   
The leader has his eye on the horizon

The manager accepts the status quo    
The leader challenges it

The Duality for Managers & Leaders

This duality is at the core of all businesses.  Management/Leadership. Consistency/Flexability.

If you are the leader and the manager it is critical to be able to see the roles as separate and related.  Strategic planning (leadership decisionmaking) is done periodically (annually or by quarter or more often depending on your business market conditions).  Once the strategic planning is in place, managing means implementation of the plan until the next scheduled time to re-assess absent monumental unanticipated changes in market conditions.

Flexibility and Consistency are also in some ways at odds with one another.  Success comes from developing the ability to effectively determine when each is appropriate and to motivate your team thrive under any circumstances.

Success comes from developing the skills to lead and manage, having the ability to determine when each is appropriate, and having the abilty to act appropriately using that knowledge.

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