Leaders Versus Managers
2.2 Leaders Versus Managers Warren Bennis, a pioneer in the contemporary study of leadership, once said, “Managers do things right; leaders do the right thing” (Bennis & Nanus, 1985, front of book jacket). Bennis’s words echo a common saying in business that “leaders create change while managers implement change.” The way that leaders create change is by creating a vision for the corporation (or indeed, any organization) and then “selling” the benefits of that vision to the rest of the organization. To
the extent that they succeed, they create followers and motivate or influence them to put their best efforts to making the vision a reality. The leader’s vision then becomes their vision. One test of leadership is whether, in fact, the leader has any followers. Who, indeed, has the leader suc- ceeded in influencing?
Robert Allio has written on the differences between leaders and managers. The key differences he describes are summarized in Table 2.1. He further provides five prescriptions for improving
Discussion Questions 1. Imagine a leader that is visionary but has no followers—is the person still a leader? How are fol-
lowers recruited? 2. Consider the following leaders. For each one, state the source or sources of their power, and
explain the reasons for your choice: • Mahatma Gandhi • John F. Kennedy • Queen Elizabeth of England • Bill Gates, Chairman of Microsoft • The professor of your strategic management course
3. Are most CEOs and presidents today “strategic” leaders? Why or why not? 4. Why do organizations find it difficult to develop a good vision statement? 5. Vision statements typically look 5 or 10 years into the future. Name an organization (or an indus-
try) where a vision statement might be developed for 20 or more years, and one where less than a year might make sense.
6. Many companies have vision statements purely for PR purposes—they sound really good. How can you tell the difference between the PR kind and the genuine thing?
7. If a company has a good vision statement, why is a mission statement necessary? 8. Should every employee in the company be able to recite the mission statement? The vision state-
ment? Both? Why?
CHAPTER 2Section 2.2 Leaders Versus Managers
the quality of leadership. Allio contends that good leaders must have good character. Integrity is an essential leadership virtue. While there’s no single best way to lead, leaders must develop a personal style that balances managing with leading. Leaders win when they commit to collaboration. They cannot go it alone. Adaptabil- ity makes longevity possible, so leadership entails adroit adapta- tion. Lastly, leaders are self-made, and good leadership requires constant practice (Allio, 2009).
Table 2.1: Leaders vs. managers
Leaders Managers
Take the long view Take the short view
Formulate visions Make plans and budgets
Take risks Avoid risks
Explore new territory Maintain existing patterns
Initiate change Stabilize
Transform Transact
Empower Control
Encourage diversity Enforce uniformity
Invoke passion Invoke rationality
Act morally Act amorally
Source: Robert J. Allio. (2009). Leadership—the five big ideas. Strategy & Leadership, 37(2).
Is it difficult to be a leader? The list of attributes in Table 2.1 might appear daunting to a junior per- son in the organization. To someone who seeks out challenges, learns from experience, works well with others, takes the initiative, and in other ways “practices” leadership, it’s a natural progression to positions of leadership with ever-increasing responsibility and visibility.
Communication and Effective Leadership Although personality, business acumen, legitimate power and authority, and exper- tise may all be factors in leadership ability, communication competence is central to the practice of influence and leadership in organizations. Without the ability to relate
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Leaders may create change, but managers implement change. Managers adopt the leader’s vision as their own.
CHAPTER 2Section 2.2 Leaders Versus Managers
to others at work through interactions, influence and leadership are virtually impos- sible. A foundation of strong relational and communication skills is critical to the ability to inspire motivation within others and to encourage the pursuit of organizational vision.
Impression Management Leadership effectiveness and communication satisfaction within organizations rely heavily on per- ceptions of individuals in formal or informal leadership positions. Thus, strong leaders are able to manage others’ perceptions and have a heightened degree of self-awareness. They must be aware of what is appropriate and expected in a given situation, possess the skills to deliver it, and demonstrate the motivation for accomplishing excellence.
Effective Message Content Good leaders pay a great deal of attention to the content of their messages. They approach their leadership communication as a goal-directed activity, rather than mindlessly. They craft their mes- sages strategically so as to provide others with a clear, concrete sense of their vision. The content of their formal and informal messages should be motivational and inspirational and succeed in convincing others that behaving consistently with the leader’s (or organization’s) vision is truly in their own best interests. Needless to say, leaders must also have unquestionable ethics and engage in this type of influence carefully and thoughtfully.
Strong Message Delivery Effective message delivery, often referred to as charisma, is central to leadership effectiveness. Numerous research studies point to the importance of message exchanges that foster a sense of “connectedness” among communicators. Although connection can be difficult to define, stud- ies have isolated factors such as smiling, using others’ first names in conversation, appropriate touch and diminished physical distance, making eye contact, removal of physical barriers (for example, sitting on the same side of a table or desk with the other communicator and avoid- ing the use of lecterns during public presentations or meetings), engaging in some degree of self-disclosure, and using animated facial expressions as important to reducing the psychological distance between people.
Communicator Style Communication researcher Robert Norton identified nine primary communicator styles that nearly 30 years of research have consistently supported. When applied to leadership, they give some insight into the repertoire of communication behaviors available to foster leadership and encourage influence. As you read about each, consider the situations in which they would be most appropriate. Remember, although an individual may have a primary communicator style, people can “borrow” habits from each of the styles. The most competent communicators are flexible and adaptive in their approaches to different situations.
It is well known that experience is the best teacher of leadership. An Accenture study of leaders that included entrepreneurs, executives, social activists, and politicians “unanimously agreed they learned more about leading from real work and life experiences than from leadership-development courses or MBA programs” (Thomas & Cheese, 2005).
CHAPTER 2Section 2.2 Leaders Versus Managers
Types of Leaders An animated leader relies primarily on nonverbal behaviors such as gestures, eye contact, and facial expressions to motivate others. An individual who fits this profile but is not able to draw on behaviors associated with the other styles will lack influence in contexts other than face-to-face communication.
An attentive leader relies primarily on listening skills in his/her relationships with others to exert influence. Through both verbal (asking questions, paraphrasing, and validating others’ positions) and nonverbal (eye contact, head-nodding, and leaning forward) means, attentive communicators illus- trate that they value individuals and their ideas. Attentive leaders must be careful to not only listen to others but also actually incorporate their perspectives into organizational strategies and plans to maximize the leader’s credibility and impact with others.
Contentious leaders are argumentative and challenging in their communication with others. They may enjoy playing the “devil’s advocate” and will often challenge others to prove or support their positions. Although the contentious communicator can be challenging to work with, this style can be used to enable transformation and to encourage others to think “outside the box.” Their style and interactions with others focus on asking questions, raising the bar, and being intellectually stimulating.
Similar to the contentious leader is the dominant one. However, instead of questioning and challenging others, dominant leaders take charge of conversations and speak in a strong manner. They tend to com- municate more frequently than others in meetings and conversations. This style suits the transactional, authoritative leader, but can be dangerous for leaders operating in more democratic environments.
Dramatic leaders make their points both verbally and nonverbally in “flowery” and exaggerated ways. They will use narratives and expressive language to convey their positions. They may even rely on poetry or literature and dramatic quotes from others to drive home their point.
The friendly leader influences others through the frequent delivery of positive feedback and praise.
Open communicators express emotion and self-disclose their own experiences (both positive and negative) as a way of inspiring and influencing others.
The impression leaving communicator finds ways to deliver memorable messages that others think about after the conversation is over.
And finally, relaxed leaders are calm and understated in their approach. They will rarely reveal anxiety or nervousness and react unflappably under pressure. They exude confidence and calm.
Summary
Effective leaders understand that impression management, strong message content, and effective delivery are central to their ability to influence others. Further, they recognize that there is not one perfect communicator style for a leader. Strong leaders are adept at analyzing people and situations and selecting a message, a delivery style, and a personal style that best fits the circumstances.