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Believe it or not, there are
those rare individuals in the
world of work who describe
themselves as “great managers.”
Focusing primarily on the
enterprise’s revenues, this
professional tends to be a master at
organizing a workforce in meeting
or exceeding annual profit
projections. Typically, great
managers have staked their
reputations, if not their careers, on
maintaining bottom-line results for
the betterment of the organization.
While perhaps losing sight of a
commonly accepted business truth
— it’s “all” the members of any
workforce who ultimately make
things happen — a great manager
more often than not runs the risk
of being labeled an “ogre” by
subordinates for an unrelenting
dedications to the monthly P&L
statements.
Yet, there are others out there
who would scoff at the tit le
“manager,” qualifying themselves as
a class of “good leaders.”
Typically, good leaders sacrifice
micromanagement of the bottom-
line in favor of a macroscopic
understanding of the enterprise, its
associates and its strategic direction.
While it has never been conclusively
proven leaders produce lower profits
than mangers, they do tend to create
more inspired, more empowered
associates — willing to serve to the
ends of the Earth — and leaders are
significantly less likely to be deemed
a “workaholic,” “ogre” or
“bossmonster” by their associates or
colleagues.
Despite arguments to the
contrary, there are fundamental
differences in the philosophical
approaches to management versus
leadership. While these differences
are not as definitive as night and
day, they do draw unique contrast
with one another while also
complementing related
competencies.
Leadership
(1) Visionary
Articulating a strategic
direction for the enterprise in a
clear and compelling manner, the
leader fosters relationships
founded on trust and respect with
all stakeholders, not just the
shareholders, of the organization.
Professionally, a leader dissects
business situations with a view to
the future while maintaining a firm
grasp of the enterprise’s current
elements (product line, corporate
philosophy, workforce, etc.) .
Remaining true to the core and
functional competencies necessary
to support the vision, the leader
what’s under the hood?
the mechanics of leadership versus management
E.L. Zimmerman
14
understands the associate’s
perspective and only endorses
action that integrates the
associate’s needs. With a knack
for prophecy, a leader
investigates, recommends and
implements activity with
appreciation of the enterprise
and the associates’ interests.
Personally, a leader
understands the present staff is,
even today, learning by doing;
they are collectively taking steps
in the direction of becoming
the productive workforce they
ultimately will be. A leader sees
beyond the immediacy of
decisions, exercising the ability
to often predict the effects of
actions, policy and even words.
In order to maintain status as a
prophet, a leader keeps up with
current industry research and
best practices in hopes of
benefiting the enterprise with
such knowledge.
Additionally, the leader will
seek out self - improvement
opportunities in order to meet
personal career objectives.
(2) Collaborator
The leader sets an example and
leads through it. This has been
called “collaborating with the
vision.”
By doing so, a leader
demonstrates a clear
understanding of the strategic
direction of the enterprise in
aligning work and personal
behavior with that vision.
In such a way, a leader
develops an organization and a
corporate culture that
encourages, supports and rewards
individual and team achievements.
In addition, a leader surrenders
“the self to the squad,”
collaborating at all times with
associates to help them.
Adapting his/her management
style to the unique needs of
individuals, a leader displays an
understanding that truly
meritorious effort should be spent
on eliminating barriers to superior
associate performance. He/she
engages willingly in coaching,
feedback, recognition,
brainstorming and mentoring in
order to maximize the enterprise’s
results.
Lastly, the successful leader
defies limitations. He/she works
effectively not only with his/her
immediate work group but also
those outside the formal line of
authority in order to accomplish
any of the enterprise’s goals.
(3) Salesperson
Demonstrating a charismatic self-
assurance of ideas, judgments and
capabilities, a leader tactically
inf luences others within the
enterprise through participation in
all processes and decision-making.
The goal is elementary: a leader
seeks an organization that supports
individual and team achievement,
and therefore he/she works at
building and sustaining group
cohesion through mutual trust and
respect. Once the enterprise has its
professional dynamic, the leader
manages to it.
To accomplish the challenge of
creating unity, a leader will provide
his enterprise with the vision,
direction and inspiration necessary
for its continued longevity.
He/she maintains good rapport
with all departments of the
enterprise, and he/she gets to
know (in great detail) the people
and resources that can provide
assistance.
(4) Negotiator
Ever the focused optimist during
tough times as well as the good, the
leader espouses one guiding
premise: “change” is the new
corporate religion. As someone
once said, “The past is only
reference, not residence.”
The leader reacts and adjusts
positively to new ways of
accomplishing tasks. First and
foremost on the leader’s mind is
making the tough decisions that
ensure associate satisfaction and
departmental efficiency. To that
end, most leaders willingly serve
as self-fueled process improvement
“think tanks” or change agent
specialists, developing imaginative
solutions to solving problems
despite the element of risk.
Critical to the leader’s perspective
is his/her ability to enhance
existing processes and procedures
that ensure associate satisfaction
and departmental efficiency.
Setbacks are inevitable and,
therefore, embraced rather than
shunned, for it is only in failure
that we learn. However, because
risk persists, the leader will not
sacrifice common sense or sound
business judgment solely for the
sake of change. Ser ving as a
catalyst for positive organizational
turbulence, a leader will assist
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managers and associates in
responding effectively to new
circumstances in the workplace.
Ever resilient, the leader will
actively seek assignments, guidance
and feedback that are necessary in
order to prepare for handling
current or future objectives.
Management
(1) Captain
Displaying energy and
initiative, the manager develops
and applies personal knowledge
of the business, products, systems
and technology to advance the
enterprise’s agenda. This applied
knowledge will not only include
industry specifics, but also involve
applying industry terminology,
paper-f low and structure to
problem solving,
communication, training and
implementation. Additionally,
the successful manager will often
interpret the laws, regulations,
policies and procedures that
impact (positively or negatively)
the associates in order to ensure
a productive working
environment.
Accepting feedback and
criticism professionally and
constructively, the manager
assumes ownership for work by
setting priorities and utilizing
department resources. Not only
does the manager add economic
value through the strategic use of
the enterprise’s programs and
practices, he/she also
understands and applies
corporate procedures and
departmental standards to
consistently produce error-free
results in a timely manner. He/she
ensures the team is striving to
overcome obstacles before seeking
support.
(2) Analyst
Possessing keen analytical skills
coupled with a grasp of the
enterprise’s budget, the successful
manager works diligently to gather
current and accurate information
about situations and technology.
Without it, the manager cannot
(and will not) make educated
decisions on behalf of the
organization. Before engaging a
course of action, the manager
conducts an in-depth analysis of
the requirements and specifications
in order to determine which course
will deliver maximum results.
Additionally, he/she uses this
information to drive his/her own
learning as well as nurturing the
business’ continued success. After
careful review of all the collected
data and alternatives, only then
will the manager make timely
decisions.
Understanding talent is what will
make any department efficient, the
manager analyzes, designs,
recommends and administers a fair
and equitable reward system to
attract, motivate and retain qualified
associates.
(3) Conductor
Focusing on potential business
opportunities, the successful
manager understands the
differences and similarities
between individual, departmental
and enterprise goals. Like a
workhorse, the manager endeavors
to accomplish all of them,
applying knowledge and training
to support whatever the need.
His/her emphasis will remain on
the client: understanding their
needs, the manager will take
actions necessar y to either
integrate or balance them with
the enterprise’s products and
strategic direction. At all times,
the manager will use whatever
resources are appropriate to
identify issues, plan work,
eliminate concerns, resolve
problems and make the
necessary adjustments to reach
optimum performance.
In determining key personnel
to fill out a results-driven team,
a manager analyzes departmental
needs, selects the best-qualified
candidates and assigns tasks
based on skills and abilities.
Reaching outside of the sphere
of inf luence, the manager will
also organize, gain the
involvement of and manage
diverse work groups and/or task
forces to achieve specific project
or enterprise goals.
(4) Controller
For the manager, an accurate
picture of the enterprise’s
profitability can only be achieved
through careful consideration of
all of the details comprising typical
business activity. This examination
starts with the basics: a review of
common elements of success, and
it extends all the way to
determination of obstacles to
performance in the workplace.
By demanding work
performed to the best of any
16
SV
associate’s ability, a manager’s
primary objective is simple:
meeting or exceeding professional,
enterprise, task force or
departmental goals. Through an
exhaustive examination of data
meant to identify the most critical
components of exemplar y
performance, the successful
manager recognizes trends,
inconsistencies, deficiencies, and
impact, he/she never loses focus of
monitoring results, controlling
resources (including employees) and
modifying business activity to better
achieve project plan. However, the
manager always demonstrates
sensitivity to the impact of change
on the individuals who are aiding in
the achievements.
The exceptional manager
identifies client problems and
maintains ownership until the
issue is fully resolved, providing the
client with detailed follow-up.
Those issues that fall outside the
manager’s sphere of influence are
appropriately escalated to the
proper department’s staff.
To Lead Or Not To Lead
While management and
leadership do have their
philosophical differences, they both
share the common element of
attaining goals.
If the goal becomes the team’s
destination, then the method (i.e.
management versus leadership) is
the journey, and there are many
roads available to the successful
professional in today’s competitive
world. The strategies and practices
that ensure success are limitless as
work-place technology continues to
evolve faster than at any other time
in our history. Clearly, what sets one
manager apart from another is
whether he/she chooses to lead,
manage or combine the best elements
of both disciplines most needed for
optimum results.
Ed Zimmerman is a professional
in the human resources field and
has worked with hundreds of
managers and leaders to capture a
variety of supervisory experiences.
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