Leadership: How to Govern Change
Leader – Manager – Office-Holder – What is the difference?
Leadership needs a Leader
A Leader LEADS his organisation to a certain point. His most important task is to define this point, to communicate and promote it, and to onboard his people on the journey to this point.
Good leaders usually have a clear picture, a vision, about what that point looks like. He ‘sees’ how the children of former slaves and former slaveholders will sit together on the same table, or how the first man walks on the moon, or how cars will drive electrically.
A good leader is not is not necessarily a manager: as long as he surrounds him selves with people who can follow him and manage the process of change, he can successfully lead the organisation.
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A Leader knows where he wants to bring his people and why. He will practice what he preaches and will subscribe his words in his own blood. A Leader is capable of empowering his people, serving them in a way they will follow him, even when it is hard. He knows how to align his people’s personal goals with the goals of his organization. |
Manager
A Manager is the person who governs the change towards that dreamed point. His task it manage the change, by having a good plan, making sure the conditions are fulfilled so the workforce can doe their job. He
A good manager is not necessarily a visionair: As long as he can identify with the vision of the leader he can manage the process to get there.
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You do not have to be an Einstein to manage an organization, a company, or a process.
But… you DO have to have a deep understanding of the process you try to manage… And it is even worse: It is NOT your task to keep the process running; the day to day operation should be a given, it should also run when you are out of the office. So what is your task as a manager? Your task is to ‘simply’ manage the IMPROVEMENT of your organization; you are a manager of CHANGE. If not you do not add value to your organization! Disagree? Chocked? Insulted? Let’s have a look! How many layers of manager does your organization counts?
Is there anything (anything!) else you can do to justify your salary?? Ok; lets start adding value then! |
‘Office-Holder’
The Office-Holder does not need to be able to create a clear vision, nor does he needs to be able to make plans and strategies to get there, as long a he can go along with the vision of the organization he serves and he is good in executing and fulfilling the strategy and plans of the manager.