Understanding the difference between the role of a “manager” and a “leader” is crucial to maximizing the potential of your people. A manager’s job is to plan, organize and coordinate. A leader’s job is to inspire and motivate. Leadership and management must go hand in hand. They are not the same thing; but, they are linked and complementary. Without effective leadership, the entire organization will fail. In order to ensure that managers and leaders are held to the highest standard, they need to be aware of how they can improve their managerial styles. So, what can organizations do to help good managers become better leaders?
A good place to start is by helping your managers understand their natural leadership behaviors and how their leadership style is currently perceived by their direct reports, peers and the other leaders they interact within the organization. Multi-rater assessments, also known as 360 surveys can identify specific traits about each manager that are crucial to their leadership performance. Knowing what the team thinks of their leadership styles can allow managers to appropriately adapt their management styles in areas that need improvement. But, knowing is not enough; how can organizations help good managers close those gaps and become better leaders?
It’s been said, “You are not one person, but three; the one you think you are, the person others think you are, and the person you really are.” Since I’m visual, I think of these three views of myself as three circles and the more concentric they are, the more in balance I am as a person. A good Multi-Rater survey such as our CheckPoint 360 provides the view from “others”, our version of the DISC assessment (the Profiles Performance Indicator) provides the “self” view, and our ProfileXT provides the “who I really am” view. By utilizing the information from these three instruments, organizations can identify specific programs that can improve a manager’s overall effectiveness. By providing managers with the appropriate tools to learn about their behaviors and personalities, they can then adapt their skill sets to encompass a wider range of management capabilities. Continually coaching and developing leaders ensures that your organization will continue to grow and prosper.