I always say that you can’t change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction. Guiding your organization to success through your position as a leader manager is no different. You will without a doubt have wins and losses, but each one will bring you closer to your goal. Knowing yourself, the call on your life, and where you want to go is the first step to seeing your leadership produce fruit in the marketplace and the Kingdom.
But first, what is a leader manager, and how can embracing this role help you guide your organization more effectively?
What is a Leader Manager?
In any given business or nonprofit organization, you have three roles functioning at all times: the leader, manager, and doer. To put it simply, the leader directs the vision of the organization, the manager directs the work, and the doer does the work. Successful entrepreneurs know how to function well in the leader and the manager roles (leader managers) while delegating responsibilities from all three roles to other members in their organization.
WealthBuilders has an abundance of resources to aid your progress toward success for your organization. Check out our free Leader Manager Mini-book available by filling out the form below:
Leadership Without Management
What happens if you offer your team leadership or management, but not both?
If you provide only leadership, your team will remain enthusiastic for a while as you impart loads of vision and inspiration. But without clear direction, people lose sight of the objective and become frustrated by unnecessary rabbit trails. Even while working hard, a team can fail to move toward the goals of the organization. The end result? Nothing really happens.
Without management, your team can feel as if they are going nowhere. They need someone to coordinate and direct their work. We all know people with amazing leadership qualities who are lacking in management abilities. People love them in the beginning, but very quickly become frustrated and disillusioned.
A company cannot function on ideas alone. Leadership without management generates dozens of new ideas without the discipline and direction to bring them to completion. Ideas without execution will breed frustration in your team.
Leadership by itself can create a beautiful display of fireworks, and everyone is impressed by the great ideas. However, with no one to work those ideas into reality, nothing of significance happens. Your team will tire of the fireworks and begin to lag.
Eventually, they will look for someone who can manage their efforts to help them reach their goals. You are beginning to see the need for a leader manager—someone with skills to inspire as well as give clear direction.
Management Without Leadership
What does management skill without leadership look like? Wasted effort.
Focusing strictly on management leaves little room for inspiration or building team culture. You can organize every little thing and produce a plethora of well-engineered programs, but without leadership, you are spinning your wheels.
With management alone, your team will feel uninspired and lack motivation. Everything is laid out for them, but they have no vision or purpose. They have no connection to the ‘why’ and where they fit in the overall vision.
Managers are not generally loved the way leaders are simply because management is cut and dried—black and white. By contrast, the leader is buoyant, charismatic, and full of vibrant color. Your team needs both. Your team needs a leader manager.
Managers write the playbook with all the policies, procedures, and systems. They are not like a coach who gives inspirational pep talks with the goal of motivating their team to get behind the vision. Your team needs a leader to keep their interest hooked and inspired, but they also need a manager who has the processes in place.
How to Improve As a Leader Manager
Since no one is born with all the wisdom and character traits of a penultimate leader, the process of leading your organization to success includes becoming the leader your team needs and the manager your organization wants. It is a step-by-step process, so here are some practical tools to help you get started!
1. Recognize your need for a team.
Leadership is not a one-person show. You were not intended to lead alone. Your health—mental, spiritual and emotional—will benefit from utilizing a diverse team to its fullest potential. Moses learned he was never meant to lead God’s people alone (Exodus 18:13-24) and Paul lists the varied gifts Jesus gave to a team of believers for the leadership needed to grow the Church:
‘And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ‘ (Ephesians 4:11-12 NKJV)
Related: How to Build a Team for Your Business
2. Evaluate the job and exactly what will be required.
Set clear, achievable objectives, and write your thoughts and ideas down while you strategize. As you study your goals and plans, be sure you know exactly what you want to do. This will help define your processes.
3. Put direction in writing
to help the ones receiving the direction be able to implement it well. Remember, if it’s not in writing, it doesn’t count. An organization needs to have handbooks, systems, processes, job descriptions and expectations written for easy access. Be sure your team knows where to find all these items for quick reference.
‘Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.’ Habakkuk 2:2 NKJV
Write the vision and make it plain is not simply stating the vision. A leader manager gives effective direction through vision, clear expectations, and systems communicated in writing! Guess work is a highly inefficient system in any organization.
Related: How to Create a Christian Mission Statement for Your Business
4. Have the right people on the bus.
Establish the qualifications your team needs to go to the next level, and hire people accordingly. You may not be involved in every level of the selection process, but you can set the standard. When you have the right people with you on the bus, it is only a matter of time before you ensure they are in the right seat.
5. Set a consistent reporting schedule.
Dialogue with your team on a regular basis to maintain an open pathway to the heartbeat of the organization. Determine how a process is functioning on the front end– don’t wait for problems.
6. Train. Train. Train.
Team members who are trained in job requirements, systems, and procedures are more efficient. A team member’s enthusiasm does not cancel out the need for proper training. Equip your team well and harness their enthusiasm to move the organization forward.
7. Steward your team wisely.
Overworking and underworking are both damaging to an organization. Be aware of the gifts, talents, and abilities of your team and the value they bring to the table. Plan, communicate, and consult with your team when setting expectations—both yours and theirs.
8. As a leader, monitor morale. As a manager, monitor results.
The first produces harmony and enthusiasm, the second produces pride and enjoyment in the work being done. Together, a leader manager will bring success to your organization.
Want to learn more? Please take advantage of our FREE Leader Manager Mini-book available by filling out the form below!
