If leaders are supposed to lead, and managers are supposed to manage, then what do I do? The good news is that you don’t have to choose…do both. Whether you just hired your first employee or are running a 20 person team, your business needs exceptional leadership and exceptional management. Granted, being a great leader and a great manager is a lot easier said than done, but every successful business must have both.
So what is the distinction between a leader and manager? Leadership is often associated with words such as “strategy,” “inspiration,” “vision,” “passion” and “trust.” One willingly follows a great leader through highs and lows, knowing that he or she is working toward a vision that excites you, and that he or she will push you to greatness. A strong leader isn’t defined by where he or she sits on a company’s org chart, he or she is defined by his or her ability to influence a group of people to achieve an ambitious goal.
Management, however, is commonly seen as operations, controls and direction, implementation, attention to detail and setting objectives. Great managers will direct a group to the achievement of pre-determined goals. Success is often defined as achievement of those goals, and doing so on time and under budget. Efficiencies are celebrated and process improvements are commended. Are all of these things important? Absolutely. Are they different than leadership? They sure are.
The best bosses combine these two worlds. They have audacious goals and big dreams. They inspire with their words and their vision. But they hold themselves accountable for execution and do the same for their staff. They have a never-ending obsession about understanding the details of the organization and know that the details make a big difference.
As we think of those who have recently led organizations to extraordinary accomplishments–Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg are just a few–we are reminded of the stories, books and movies that exalted their vision, but stressed that a critical foundation of their success was in their execution and attention to detail. A relentless pursuit of excellence is clearly a common trait amongst these leaders. It was seen while setting audacious goals that disrupted industries but the focus on excellence didn’t blur when it came to the little things. Their passion was just the same when evaluating a new product feature, interviewing a potential new team member or communicating their brand to a new market.
Success for these leaders was rooted in their ability to balance inspiration and trust with proficiency and direction. Your ability to navigate between management and leadership may be the difference between good and great for both you and your small business.
Chris McMahon is Vistaprint's Director of North America Talent Acquisition & Global Sourcing. You can find this post, as well as additional content on Vistaprint's Micro Business Blog.