Do You Lead Or Do You Manage?

Have you ever asked yourself do you lead or do you manage? Did you even know there was a difference? Employees know the difference and they really feel it the most when the time comes for their annual reviews. During the annual review, your employee will find out — in that brief time — whether they’re doing a good job, an okay job or if they have a lot of room for improvement. It is a nerve wracking time for them but it is a time for you to shine as a leader — not a manager.

Leaders can spot talent. Leaders will work with an employee who shows potential to coach them to a higher level of engagement and ownership in their job. A leader coaches the employee with promise and offers them opportunities to keep them engaged and invested in their job. A manager, simply piles on the work with no direction or feed back and the employee must continually “prove” his or her worth to the manager.

Be a leader and rely on a review schedule throughout the year rather than the annual one hour review of the employee’s performance. Done the right way you can coach and lead an employee who shows potential to a higher level of success — and your business will benefit.

Do You Lead Or Do You Manage?

Here are steps to make you a leader not a manager.

1. Build mutual respect. If you have a daily relationship with your employees there is a greater level of trust and respect and this will make leading a more beneficial relationship.
2. Set the tone when you meet with him or her. If you’re starting a leading or coaching session, set the groundwork so the employee feels comfortable with a give and take. This is not your usual annual review where they need to “prove” to you they’re valuable and you are filling out a form based on little interaction with them beforehand.
3. Explore alternatives and ways for the employee to take greater ownership of his or her job. Your employee is “in the trenches” he or she may very well have a different aka better way of looking at potential changes to the workflow or environment in their department.

When is the last time you sat down with your employees and had a talk with them about their jobs, about ways they feel they could perform at higher levels and whether they have aspirations within the company? If you can’t remember the last time, chances are you are a manager. Commit today to become a leader within your company.